A Complete Success: Face-to-face Dinagyang exceeded expectations

Wazzup Pilipinas?!



With thousands of domestic and foreign visitors packing various festival activities, Dinagyang’s return to the city’s streets exceeded expectations, according to Mayor Jerry P. Treñas.

A “complete success” was how he described the festival’s return to a face-to-face celebration after two years of restrictions due to the coronavirus disease pandemic.

“Everyone wanted a strong comeback…It was a complete success and this showed that Dinagyang and our Sto. Niño are beyond politics,” added Treñas.

Dinagyang Festival is known far and wide for its participants’ impressive choreography and striking costumes that reflect Ilonggo ingenuity, craftsmanship and artistry.

 

Treñas congratulated the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. (IFFI), organizer of Dinagyang 2023, the participating tribes and corporate sponsors, among others.

“I acknowledge all our sponsors from the private sector for their significant contributions in the success of Dinagyang. Of course, sa inyo tanan, mga pinalangga ko nga Ilonggo. Ang tanan nga ini bangud sa inyo kag para man sa inyo. Your strong support in all our activities played a meaningful role in the overall success of the festival,” said Treñas.

The festival’s top sponsor was SM City Iloilo; it also served as venue for many Dinagyang activities, including the first-ever Dinagyang Ilomination on Jan.21, Batchoy Festival, festival costumes exhibit, and concert of various performing artists including Asia’s Pop Heartthrob Darren Espanto, among others.

The festivities were graced by no less than First Lady of the Philippines Atty. Liza Araneta Marcos and some prominent government officials including House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Senators Risa Hontiveros, Jinggoy Estrada, Mark Villar, Francis Tolentino, Bong Revilla, former senator Franklin Drilon, among others. YouTube sensation Small Laude, broadcast journalist Karen Davila, lifestyle columnist and philanthropist Tessa Prieto Valdez, television presenter and entrepreneur Tim Yap were also there to join the festivities. They were warmly welcomed by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas and SM Supermalls president Steven Tan.

Several dignitaries form foreign embassies attended the festivities as well: Romanian Ambassador to the Philippines HE Raduta Dana Matache with Mr. Constantin Matache ; Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines HE Agus Widjojo and his wife, Mme. Ranny Agus Widjojo; Royal Thai Ambassador to the Philippines HE Tull Traisorat; Royal Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines HE Christian Halaas Lyster; Hungary Ambassador to the Philippines HE Titanilla Toth; Embassy of Polland Ambassador to the Philippines HE Jaroslaw Szczepankiewicz ; Embassy of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Ms. P.G.P. Kaushalya; Consul General of Japan in Cebu Hideki Yamaji; and Embassy of the United States in the Philippines Chief Consuls Kristofer Graf and Leo Balantac;

Dinagyang is the Hiligaynon word for revelry or "merrymaking." The festival is Iloilo City’s version of the Ati-atihan celebrations widely observed not only in Panay Island but also in other parts of the country.

Two of the many foreign dignitaries who graced the festival were full of praises.

FDCP FilmPhilippines Opens Application for its Incentives Program

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Launching its new campaign tagline “Tell your Stories in our Islands,” the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ FilmPhilippines Office officially opened the applications for the first cycle of the FilmPhilippines Incentives (FPI) program this 2023. The call is open to foreign production companies in business with a Filipino production company or producer on an ongoing project.

With the primary goal to promote the Philippines as a highly-viable filming destination, the FDCP FilmPhilippines Office offers location incentives to attract international productions to film in the country.

The Philippines also offers co-production funds to foreign producers who are looking to co-produce their respective projects with Filipino production companies and producers. Interested filmmakers and production companies may apply to the following incentive programs:

● Film Location Incentive Program (FLIP): A selective rebate of up to PHP 10 million per project granted to Filipino production companies that are producing TV/VOD series, music videos, and feature-length or short films with a minimum Qualified Philippine Production Expenditure (QPPE) of PHP 50 million.

● International Co-production Fund (ICOF): A selective fund of up to 40% of Qualified Philippine Production Expenditure (QPPE) capped at PHP 10 million per project granted to Filipino production companies who are producing feature-length or short films with a minimum QPPE of PHP 8 million.

● ASEAN Co-production Fund (ACOF): A selective fund of PHP 2.5 million to PHP 7.5 million per project granted to Filipino production companies who are producing feature-length films. 50% of the applicant’s production budget must be spent on Qualified Philippine Production Expenditure (QPPE).

The first cycle of the FilmPhilippines Incentives (FPI) Program is open until March 17, 2023 which will be followed by a Selection Committee Deliberation.

Some of the most notable film grantees of the FPI include “Ella Arcangel: Awit ng Pangil at Kuko” by Melvin Malonzo, “Arnold is a Model Student” by Sorayos Prapapan, “In My Mother’s Skin” by Kenneth Dagatan, “The Gospel of the Beast” by Sheron Dayoc, and popular television series “Survivor.

Through this initiative, the FDCP FilmPhilippines Office aims to provide funding to local and international production companies to foster collaboration between the Philippines and other foreign countries. The incentive program also opens up a lot of opportunities for Filipino talents and service providers to work on international co-productions.

Now in its fourth year, the FilmPhilippines Incentives Cycle 1 of 2023 comes with a new set of guidelines which interested applicants may download here. For inquiries, kindly send an email to filmphilippines@fdcp.ph.

Top 5 Online Blackjack Strategy Tips for Newbies

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



Blackjack remains one of the most popular and preferred card games. Nowadays, every respected online casino offers a variety of live dealer tables as well as electronic options. It looks like players can choose from a wide range of games. But the problem is that many of them have no experience and often make mistakes in their pursuit of quick profit.

If you are also a newbie, it would be good to learn the rules and come up with a strategy before betting with real money. Of course, there are no guarantees, but you might walk away as a winner with a little logical thinking and more practice. Here are some easy tips that beginners will find useful while playing online blackjack:

 

1.Pick the Right Blackjack Table

You should remember not all blackjack tables at online casinos are the same. Some of them pay 3:2, and others – 6:5. Therefore, you should only choose tables where you have a fair shot at winning. Plus, there are live blackjack tables at which you can double down on any two cards, whereas at others you can only double on 11 or 10. To make sure you have chosen the right table, you should take into consideration the following things:

· How much a blackjack pays

· The minimum and maximum bet at the table

· The number of decks in play

· The doubling options

· The number of times you can split aces

2. Follow Basic Strategy Guides

There are basic online blackjack strategy guides in the form of small cards or charts which can be a great help to beginners. They show the player what to do in any scenario which may come up at the table. If you are just starting out, you should look at the strategy guide before making important decisions such as to hit or to stand. For example, if you are not sure whether to hit or stand with a 14 to a dealer’s up card of 7, you can quickly consult with your blackjack strategy card. It will only take a few seconds and will definitely help you improve your game.

 

3. Play Within Your Bankroll

Every player’s financial situation is different, so their bankroll will be different as well. The key is to make sure you stay within your bankroll while playing blackjack games online. It is easier to do that when you slow down and spend more time at the table. If you play too fast, you can easily go broke. Therefore, stay within the parameters that you have set and play the game for longer periods to gain more experience. Most logical for beginners is to start playing blackjack at low-limit tables. In every online casino, there are tables with varied limits and you can choose the one that suits your bankroll.

 

4. Double Down More Often

Many beginner level players make a big mistake in blackjack by not doubling down enough. Users are allowed to double the bet after they see their first two cards and one of the dealer’s cards. And this is usually considered a huge advantage. According to some online blackjack strategy guides, players should double every time they get an 11. If you don’t do it, you are likely to miss out on value. Another recommendation that most newbies probably don’t know is that it’s better to double with a soft 13 against the dealer’s 4,5 or 6. When it comes to doubling down in blackjack games, you shouldn’t overdo it, but you shouldn’t be so hesitant either.

 

5. Do Not Play Insurance

Blackjack insurance is a type of side bet which is offered to the player if the dealer’s up card is an Ace as insurance against their hand being “blackjack”. But it pays 2 to 1 and the maximum bet allowed is half of the player’s main bet. This will be a winning bet if the dealer has a natural blackjack. It happens when their down card is worth 10 points. Even the most inexperienced player in online blackjack can guess that the odds of this are too small. That is why insurance bet is not considered profitable and should be avoided in most cases.

Before trying the strategy tips described above, don’t forget to study the rules of the online blackjack variant you have chosen in detail first. In such games, knowing the rules is very important. Only when you understand them well, you can begin to implement strategies. It is also not a bad idea to familiarize yourself with the principles of responsible gambling because you can easily get carried away, especially when playing exciting live blackjack.