BingoPlus turns on Holiday Spirit with support of Star Magical Christmas 2023and Inspire Music record label

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



BingoPlus, the first and only live streaming bingo in the Philippines, continued to fulfill its mission of providing joy and positive vibes by pushing for memorable, worthwhile entertainment to Filipinos.

It supported two key activities of ABS-CBN, helping it empower local artists and deliver top-tier enjoyment to the community.

This November, BingoPlus and its mother company DigiPlus, a leader in providing world-class multi-gaming platforms, products, and games with a strong distribution network of entertainment facilities, spread early Christmas joy by participating in and supporting Star Magical Christmas 2023, an annual marquee Kapamilya event where glittering Star Magic celebrities and artists dressed up in holiday-inspired fashion and glammed up for the occasion to entertain fans and the public.

The leading entertainment gateway for Filipinos joined the excitement of the star-studded event and provided a total of P400,000 cash prizes that were awarded by DigiPlus president Mr. Andy Tsui and BingoPlus President Jasper Vicencio.

Among the awardees were celebrity couple Ronnie Alonte and Loisa Andalio, who won Best in Costume for both male and female categories. Rising Pinoy-pop boy group, BGYO received the trophy for Best in Costume As A Group is given to the talented and Numerous artists like Francine Diaz, Seth Fedelin, Raven Rigor, Sean Tristan, and others were also awarded by the BingoPlus Foundation for the “exceptional magic” they shared that night. Their winnings were donated to selected charity beneficiaries, such as the Ephesus House for Girls, Pawssion Project, and Sherwin Buennevida who is a stage-4 cancer survivor.

Earlier this month, BingoPlus joined the unveiling of Inspire Music, ABS-CBN’s newest record label in a press conference at the Academy of Rock in Quezon City. The record label of uplifting fresh tunes was created to inspire people and generate strong faith, love, and hope especially in the face of hardships and trials. Esteemed Kapamilya artists such as Jed Madela, Jamie Rivera, Francine Diaz, KD Estrada, and more took part in the project and are expected to release uplifting spiritual tunes soon.

“Extending support in these events shows BingoPlus’ unwavering commitment to help elevate the local music and entertainment landscapes, nurturing local artists to cultivate and share their crafts to deliver top-tier enjoyment and excellent quality entertainment to Filipinos. It also shows the brand’s steadfast dedication in honoring the value of charity and gift giving during the holiday season, of extending a helping hand to those in need,” said BingoPlus president Jasper Vicencio.

“BingoPlus continues to spread jolly Christmas vibes in its newest Sure Bingonaryo Round, where a total of more than P222 million pesos will be gifted to lucky winners! Play, enjoy, and win this coming December 8 and December 30,” Vicencio added.

For more details, visit www.bingoplus.com. Sa BingoPlus, Bingo sa Saya, Plus sa Panalo!

VP Sara credits Filipino learners for inspiration of her first children’s book, Isang Kaibigan

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

As part of the 2023 Pambansang Buwan ng Pagbasa at Araw ng Pagbasa celebration, Vice President of the Philippines and Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) Sara Z. Duterte launched her first children’s book titled “Isang Kaibigan.”

VP-Secretary Duterte shared that the Filipino children inspired her to write her book and when she was invited for a book reading session, a close friend of hers noted that she should read books by Filipino authors. 

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa mga batang Pilipino because they gave me the inspiration to write the book [Isang Kaibigan],” VP-Sec. Duterte said.

Isang Kaibigan follows the story of Kwago and Loro and teaches how the power of true friendship can overcome even the toughest challenges that may befall anyone. 

VP-Sec. Duterte first read Isang Kaibigan when she was invited to be the mystery reading ambassador of Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Central Elementary School in Davao, City as part of National Reading Month on November 11.

The official book launch was conducted during the culmination program of Araw ng Pagbasa as the VP-Secretary conducted a live reading session to selected Grade 3 learners of Esteban Abada Elementary School in Quezon, City last November 21, 2023. 

“Ang pagbabasa ay nagpapalago ng inyong imahinasyon, nagpapalawak sa inyong kaalaman, at nagbibigay sa inyo ng kakayahan na makita ang mas malawak na posibilidad sa gitna ng inyong mga limitasyon. Tandaan, sa ating mga kabataan, na ang pagbabasa ay ang pintuan patungo sa isang maligaya at matatag na kinabukasan,” VP-Sec. Duterte reiterated. 

Duterte also shared that she will soon donate copies of her book to the school libraries around the country. 

The book was illustrated by Janina Simbillo and Joseph Caligner of the Public Affairs Service- Creative Media Unit of the Department.

Envi groups dismayed over hijack of plastics treaty negotiations by petrochem and plastics interests

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



As the third negotiations (INC3) for a global plastics treaty closed earlier this week, civil society organizations from different countries were disappointed over the seeming failure to move closer to a strong and binding global plastic agreement to end plastic pollution.

Plastic pollution has reached a critical global scale. Annually, over 280 million tonnes of short-lived plastic products are discarded, as reported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). An estimated 19-23 million tonnes of this waste seeps into aquatic ecosystems, relentlessly polluting lakes, rivers, and seas.

According to environmental justice group BAN Toxics, instead of endorsing a mandate for the initial draft, Member States chose to revise the Zero Draft, expanding it and making progress more difficult. The draft emerged after the second round of talks in Paris earlier this year, intended to facilitate the negotiations in formulating an international legal instrument. It was a balanced document with a range of views presented as options before the start of INC3.

“Petrochemical and plastics industry-leaning governments successfully undermined the talks by raising procedural objections, stalling the negotiations, and introducing low-ambition language to dilute the push for a globally binding agreement,” said Jam Lorenzo, research and policy officer of BAN Toxics currently in Nairobi. Lorenzo joined other civil society organizations, many coming from global networks such as the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), and the Break Free from Plastics (BFFP) movement.

Civil society strongly criticized the open-door policy accorded to the industry during the talks. As per the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) report, 143 lobbyists from the fossil fuel and chemical industries registered to attend INC-3. This group surpassed any national delegation or civil society organization in size and acquired significant access to government representatives worldwide.

Certain member states exerted considerable effort to weaken the directive for a treaty encompassing the full lifecycle of plastic, including its production, which starts at raw material extraction. They aim to concentrate solely on waste management strategies, asserting that the issue does not stem from plastic itself but from its management and disposal.

“Member States in the room have the moral obligation to prioritize planetary boundaries, human rights and just transition for fenceline communities and waste pickers. A handful of countries must not hold the planet hostage and prevent an ambitious treaty addressing the full life cycle of plastics, which starts at raw material extraction,” said Merrisa Naidoo, Plastics Campaigner at GAIA Africa.

All plastics are made of chemicals. More than 13,000 chemicals have been identified as associated with plastics and plastic production across a wide range of applications, based on UNEP studies. Some of these chemicals are toxic that harm human health and the environment.

Plastics production also significantly fuels the climate crisis. It is among the most energy-intensive manufacturing processes globally, deriving from fossil fuels like crude oil. In 2019 alone, plastics accounted for 1.8 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing 3.4% to the global total.

“The health and environmental impacts of plastics, especially problematic ones containing toxic materials and unnecessary single-use products, are being ignored in these discussions, and giant plastics and fossil fuel industries continue to promote false solutions, block scientific progress, and influence the negotiations with problematic definitions of key concepts such as reuse and circularity. The level of plastic production remains excessive,” Lorenzo said.

Member States failed to reach a consensus on intersessional work, resulting in the closure of INC-3 without a structured plan to address crucial elements of the treaty. These include the gradual elimination of hazardous chemicals, plastic polymers, and microplastics, as well as the expansion of reuse initiatives before the upcoming negotiations at INC-4. This setback will impede progress in advancing the treaty process during INC-4, according to the group.

“We anticipate fierce resistance in the coming negotiation against the call to reduce virgin plastic production, despite the undeniable truth that the plastics life cycle continues to bring harm. The combustion of fossil fuels stands as the primary driver of the climate crisis, its use exposes populations to harmful chemicals, and the management of plastic waste remains a globally significant health and environmental problem,” added Lorenzo.

“We need a systemic change in the global plastics economy and we must not be hindered by diversionary tactics and false solutions. We echo the calls of civil society groups from across the world to adhere to the zero-waste hierarchy by prioritizing reduction and reuse before recycling. A fair and equitable transition is necessary so that wealthier countries and major polluters take responsibility for the disproportionate mess they have created,” Lorenzo concluded.

BAN Toxics is collaborating closely with various civil society organizations in the region and globally, gearing up for the INC-4 in Canada next April, aiming for a plastics treaty that advocates human rights and environmental justice. #



References:



https://wedocs.unep.org/.../20.500.11822/43239/ZERODRAFT.pdf

https://www.ciel.org/news/inc-3-reaction/

https://www.unep.org/plastic-pollution

https://www.unep.org/.../everything-you-need-know-about

https://www.unep.org/.../chemicals-plastics-technical-report