Coastal Town Youth Convenes to Promote Peace through Arts

Wazzup Pilipinas!?




National Arts Month is celebrated annually throughout February in the Philippines. The events and activities that take place during this month are geared toward showcasing the artistic talent of Filipinos, as well as providing avenues for artists to channel their creative energies. It is a time when people celebrate the richness and diversity of the country's art and culture. Themed “Ani ng Sining, Bunga ng Galing,” this year's celebration aims to immerse Filipinos in diverse cultural expressions and celebrate the bountiful harvest from the Filipino imagination.

In the Coastal town of Sagay City, Arts Month is celebrated with the theme "Diin Tabo Man? Nature Encounter X". The SKC Sagay City Council together with the only Rotary Club in the city, the Rotary Club of Sagay-Sinigayan, its Rotaract Club, NONESCOST Supreme Student Council, TUPV at SC University Student Government, Sagay Young Tourism Volunteers, and Young Disciples in Mission staged an art forum and exhibition entitled “HINUN-ANON SANG KATILINGBAN: A Conversation for Peace and Conflict Prevention through Arts. The event was held at the SUNN Hotel of the Northern Negros State College of Science and Technology (NONESCOST) over the weekend.

HINUN-ANON SANG KATILINGBAN which roughly translates to “Community forum” is a gathering of the Sagaynon Youth for a conversation with seasoned artists representing each discipline of art to get a better understanding of how arts can be a medium to promote peace and conflict prevention/resolution in our communities and to inspire young people to pursue their passion in arts.

There was also an exhibition where the works of young budding artists were presented. From visual artworks from the previous contests of the Sagay City LGU, freshly made paintings and sketches of students of NONESCOST and the Technological University of the Philippines in the city, to posters of films joining the upcoming Margaha Film Festival –the first of its kind that encourages all homegrown writers and directors to create a film depicting the Sagaynon heritage and lifestyle through film.

All these were inspired by one of the locals, Maestro Nunelucio Alvarado, renowned for his exceptional work as a social realist. A founding member of the Black Artists in Asia—one of the most prominent collectives in the region—Nune, as his friends fondly call him fondly, is known for large-scale depictions of difficulty and despondency in the cane fields of Negros.

Maestro Nune with the support of the local government has created a community that gradually paints peace and progress in the region.

“We share with the Maestro his dream that someday, art can bring us together and that art can be the most powerful weapon to promote peace and progress,” says Benson Fernandez, President of the Rotary Club of Sagay-Sinigayan

“Through Rotary, we imagine Sagay to be a peaceful and progressive city where arts and diversity are celebrated,” He added.

“True enough, leaders from various organizations were brought together by this common cause and for the first time, brought to life a beautiful space where the youth and our seasoned artists can exchange ideas. A reminder to us that all our organizations’ causes have an underlying connection to peace and that peace in the community can be achieved through arts.” Said Ellirie Aviles, one of the event convenors.

Calling all WOMENtrepreneurs in BPOs! Payoneer to host a meetup event with women leaders in the outsourcing industry

Wazzup Pilipinas!?




Payoneer, the world’s leading cross-border payments platform, is set to host the very first Payoneer WOMENtrepreneurs Meetup: Connect with women leading the PH outsourcing sector event on March 9, 2023 at WeWork Menarco Tower in Bonifacio Global City.

In line with the company’s goal of supporting women to thrive in their endeavors and enterprises, the event will showcase women leaders in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector who will share their stories, wisdom, and tips on how women can continue to go beyond in the outsourcing industry. All women entrepreneurs and leaders in BPO companies, digital marketing agencies, and freelance agencies are encouraged to attend.

The discussion will be headlined by two distinguished women leaders-Gina Romero and Tonichi Achurra-Parekh. Gina is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-Founder of Connected Women, a social impact tech startup that offers online skills training, development, and remote work opportunities to women in the Philippines. On the other hand, Tonichi is the Vice President of Concentrix, a leading global provider of customer experience solutions and technology and is also a member of the Contact Center Association of the Philippines.

The event will also feature a panel discussion with Marge Aviso, Founder and CEO of Telework PH, a homegrown BPO based in Bulacan; Vanessa Janssen, the CEO of an all-female service provider firm based in Clark; and Pamela Ann Baluyo, Founder and CEO of Scale Experts Inc., a Marikina-based business process assistance company that helps startups grow their businesses.

“We, at Payoneer, are excited to host this special meetup and exchange stories and tips with the women blazing the trail in the local outsourcing industry. This is the perfect opportunity to network, meet other women leaders, and learn from each other,” shares Monique Avila, the director of Payoneer’s all-women Customer Success Department for Southeast Asia & Pakistan.

Application for the Payoneer WOMENtrepreneurs Meetup event is available at this paynr.co/WazzupPilipinas-WOMENtrepreneurs-meetup.

Filipino Royal Fellow thanks Pres. Marcos: "How can I reach you, Sir?"

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently joined the world in congratulating Filipino science diplomat Glenn Banaguas for the latter’s induction into the United Kingdom London-based Royal Society of Arts (RSA). Banaguas is the first science diplomat from the Philippines to become a fellow of the RSA, which counts among its distinguished ranks historical luminaries such as Charles Dickens, George Washington Carver, David Attenborough, Nelson Mandela, Tim Berners-Lee, Karl Marx, Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking, and Benjamin Franklin.

"Tunay ngang ang galing at talino ng mga Pilipino ay maipagmamalaki saan man sa mundo. Maraming salamat sa kahusayang iyong patuloy na ipinamamalas (Indeed, the brilliance and intelligence of the Filipinos can be pround of anywhere in the world. Thanks to Glenn Banaguas for his continued excellence)," President Marcos said in his official message, which was broadcast across all official government channels.

Banaguas thanked the President for the latter’s kudos, which he welcomed as warm support from his countrymen.

“While I am thankful and deeply humbled by the international recognition I have received, the President’s message resonates deeply for me since it comes from where support is most needed—from home,” Banaguas said.

“Thank you so much, Mr. President. I greatly appreciate your message, Sir. I have never expected that someone who is nobody like me would be commended by the most powerful man in the country. My heart will always be grateful, Sir. May the grace of God continue to follow you. And may every Filipino touched by your hand be blessed forever. God bless, Mr. President," Banaguas said.

"Sir, I wholeheartedly support you and your climate agenda for the Philippines and the Filipino people,” he added.

"Given the chance to meet the President, I will provide him with not only the science and evidence-based strategic solutions but also the most humane and gender-responsive schemes to address the impacts and risks of climate change... from scientific wide-ranging assessment, capacity development, project management to climate financing programs as well as multilateral cooperation among actors,' he mentioned.

"I wish I could meet our dear President. How can I reach you, Sir?" Banaguas humbly asked.

Banaguas, a distinguished scientist and science diplomat, is among Asia's leading experts in environment, climate change, and disaster risk. He is the founder and president of the Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute, an organization that brings "science and diplomacy" to the poorest communities and marginalized sectors in the Philippines.

Banaguas founded Climate Smart Philippines: Science for Service Program, which provides research, training, and capacity-building to all stakeholders in the country to combat climate change and disaster risks. He also chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Science Diplomats and the United States (US)-ASEAN Fellows for Science and Technology. He also serves as climate diplomat of the European Union-Asia Expert Panel for Climate Diplomacy and Environmental Security. He is also the Executive Fellow and Expert of the renowned Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) in Switzerland.

Banaguas is the Adviser of the country's flag carrier, the Philippine Airlines for sustainability and resiliency programs. He also provides climate change capacity-building efforts to the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities. He leads the UNDP's climate security program for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and provides technical assistance to Mindanao Development Authority's climate change and energy projects.

Banaguas has Ivy League credentials - he took Climate Change and Energy from the Harvard Kennedy School and Sustainability Leadership from Yale University. He also took the Applied Remote Sensing program from the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA), peacebuilding programs from the United States Institute of Peace (UNIP), and security courses from the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP).