PAO-RB kicks off ‘E-ntablado: A Bridgetine Pantry of Art’

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

 

As part of the annual tradition of celebrating Christmas through arts, the St. Bridget College Performing Arts Office – Repertory Brigid (PAO-RB) sparks excitement as they present the “E-ntablado: A Bridgetine Pantry of Art”, a virtual showcase of Bridgetine talents.

Headed by SBC PAO Artistic Director, Mr. Cir Garing, E-ntablado draws inspiration from the idea of “pantry”, a term flourished during the time of pandemic that refers to a storage of food collected from donations. But instead of food, a call for different art form submissions will be put into showcase to offer its audience a Bridgetine Christmas spirit.

“The pandemic brought us challenges on how to embrace and cope up on art with each other. Yet, this program brought us one again. This will showcase that even if we have different visualizations, capabilities, and art careers to pursue, PAO-RB is a one family. E-ntablado is a program presented by PAO-RB which showcases diverse talents, meaning it doesn't stop only in dancing, singing, and acting. It tells stories through art and gives inspiration to love, embrace, and become art,” Paula Gabrielle D. Acosta, Assistant Company Manager of RB expressed.

“E-ntablado: A Bridgetine Pantry of Art” is set to be aired on December 21, 2021, 6:00 pm Philippine Standard Time at SBC Performing Arts Office Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Senate Bill No. 2239 is ‘anti-health, anti-youth’ according to doctors

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Representatives of medical associations like the Philippine Medical Association, Philippine Pediatric Society, and the Philippine College of Physicians warned during an online rally on Tuesday that they will campaign against Senators who will vote Yes to the Vape Bill.

Medical associations and health groups on Tuesday criticized the move of Senators to approve on second reading Senate Bill No. 2239 (SBN 2239) or the Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Act, saying that the measure is ‘anti-health, anti-youth, and anti-children’.

 

SBN 2239, or more commonly known as the Vape Bill, is severely flawed and regressive, according to Philippine Medical Association (PMA) President Dr. Benito Atienza. “We are appalled at the hasty pace of Congress and Senate deliberations,” he said during an online rally with doctors and health advocates urging the Senate to junk the measure.

 

The bill, which will now move to third and final reading on Thursday, seeks to lower the minimum age of access to vapes and e-cigarettes from the current 21 years old to 18 years old. It also transfers the power of regulation over said products from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and eases restrictions on the use of flavorings.

 

“Vape and e-cigarette use is a rising epidemic among young people. The passage of the Vape Bill will fuel this epidemic,” Dr. Riz Gonzalez of the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) said. “Aside from nicotine addiction, vaping has been shown to predispose our youth to tobacco use, alcohol abuse and use of illicit drugs,” she added.

 

Dr. Maricar Limpin, President of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP), branded the measure as “a pro-industry regulation masquerading as a health measure”. “We condemn this attempt to undo and weaken existing laws at the height of a pandemic. We have enough health and economic problems and do not need further aggravation,” she said.

 

“We will campaign against these lawmakers and make sure this becomes an election issue,” Dr. Limpin warned, referring to the proponents of the bill. “We will remember those lawmakers who chose to represent industry profit, instead of Filipinos’ health. They do not deserve our vote,” she also said.

 

The groups urged Senators to reverse their vote for the Vape Bill during the third and final reading. A counterpart measure was approved by the House of Representatives early this year.

 

“Passing the Vape Bill is a complete reversal of the life-saving policies the Senate enacted in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, a disease that primarily attacks the lungs,” said public interest law group ImagineLaw Executive Director Atty. Sophia San Luis. “The last two years should have taught us the value of listening to our doctors and prioritizing public health. Will this Senate pass an anti-health measure during the time of COVID-19?” she asked. 

 

“The Vape Bill offers Filipinos’ health on a silver platter to e-cigarette and vape companies’ profit-driven interests. Our Senators should not allow this to happen and vote ‘No’ to the Vape Bill,” San Luis concluded.

Pinoy artists bring hope and music for fishing communities in WWF-PH’s Holiday Serenade concert

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Filipino artists team up with the World Wide Fund for Nature - Philippines (WWF-Philippines) for a three-night event that will showcase the best of Filipino music in a concert titled Holiday Serenade for the benefit of 21 tuna fishing communities in Lagonoy Gulf and Mindoro Strait.

The online fundraising concert will be streamed via KTX.PH on December 17, 18 and 19, 2021. Day pass and 3-day pass tickets can be purchased via KTX website.

Holiday Serenade will feature performances from BINI, Jim Paredes and Boboy Garovillo, Rachel Alejandro, Reese Lansangan, Hey Moonshine, Johnoy Danao, and more, and will be hosted by WWF-Philippines Ambassadors Pia Wurtzbach, KC Concepcion, and Robi Domingo.

“It’s very important that we care about the environment now and there are issues that are so important now. Our lifestyle is not sustainable, we cannot continue to burn fossil fuels like we do. So in our own little way, we can help,” said Jim Paredes who will be headlining the first leg of the concert series.

Lagonoy Gulf and Mindoro Strait are major fishing grounds for artisanal fishers. Since 2011, WWF-Philippines has been working with fishing communities in Lagonoy Gulf and Mindoro Strait to empower them and provide support in pursuing sustainable fishing practices - from initiatives to prevent post-harvest losses, to social enterprise development, to important innovations in seafood traceability.

In October 2019, the Philippine Tuna Handline Partnership, which includes the two fishing communities, achieved certification to the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) globally recognized standard for sustainable fishing. This is a significant milestone for the Philippines, as our country is considered as a major fishing nation, where small-scale fishing has a massive impact on the economy, both for income and employment.

Acoustic crooner Johnoy Danao calls upon his fans and fellow artists to do their part to #ChangeTheEnding for our environmental frontliners.

“Kung makakatulong tayo para sa mga kababayan natin, para sa kanilang livelihood, gagawin natin yan. Tulungan lang tayo talaga. Sino pa naman ba ang magtutulungan kundi tayong mga Pilipino,” he said.

To book your tickets and for more information, log on to bit.ly/WWFHolidaySerenade.