Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Friday, May 6, 2016

COMELEC Says There's Nothing Wrong With Negative Political TV Ads Involving Children

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The TV networks say they complied to the Fair Elections Act which says they would not discriminate in the airing of political ads. Thus they do not admit to any fault with allowing the broadcast of the ad involving children.

"The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) clarified that it does not have the authority to approve political advertisements on television. The poll body only regulates the duration, and not the content, of political ads on TV. However, they find nothing wrong with the ad. "Sa dinami-dami ng mga eleksyon na pinagdaanan natin, ang dami-dami nating nakikita na mga negative ads talaga."

"Grace Poe, a former chairwoman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), also says there is nothing wrong with the ads using children reacting to what Duterte said."

"Parang yung pagmumura, lewd jokes, and unbelievable promises of change ni Duterte, some people do not find anything wrong with them."

"Yung mali ng pag-gamit ng mga bata nakita ninyo pero yung mali ng pagmumura sa Sto. Papa, pagpapakyu, pagju-joke about rape, pagpilit ng paghalik sa babae hindi niyo nakita?"

"The children were purposely used to hammer the message that they should always be part of the consideration in our choice of leaders of the country not only because it is for their future but also because they will emulate these leaders. Besides, the children were shown in a positive light and all pertinent laws were strictly followed."

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The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship (ONE), announced today that the mixed martial artists competing at ONE: ASCENT TO POWER are on track with their weights and are expected to be ready for all the action which takes place tomorrow evening, 6 May, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

Main event combatants Angela Lee and Mei Yamaguchi are set and ready to compete in a five round battle for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship.

In the co-main event, Roger Gracie of the world-renowned Gracie fighting family will take on undefeated Polish fighter Michal Pasternak for the right to bear the inaugural ONE Light Heavyweight World Championship.

Angela Lee stated: “The stage is set for the biggest female MMA bout in the history of MMA in Asia. This is an incredible opportunity for me to become the youngest MMA champion in history, the first-ever ONE women’s world champion, and to be able to represent Singapore as its first female MMA world champion. The stakes are high, but I’m ready to show the world I have what it takes to step into the spotlight and claim the belt and everything that comes with it.”

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Looking at the 2016 presidential candidates’ personal net worth is a good way to understand how they manage their wealth, and how they might manage the Philippine economy should they get elected.

There are only days left before the 2016 presidential elections, yet many voters continue to look for additional information regarding the candidates. While not the be-all-and-end-all in selecting the next national leader, their net worth is a good indicator of how they manage their personal wealth, and how that possibly translates into their ability to lead the growth of the Philippine economy should they get elected.

To that end, we list the individual net worth of Vice President Jejomar Binay, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and Senators Grace Poe-Llamanzares and Miriam Defensor Santiago based on their latest Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), and attempt to quantify these by exploring the real estate possibilities that could be afforded by their personal wealth.

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We only have 3 day left going into the 2016 National Elections, have you chosen your Vice Presidential Candidate? How well do you each of their platforms?

May 9 is the set date for every Filipino to elect the next government official of the country. And wIth only a few days left, all candidates are in full swing to campaign their platforms and agendas for the country in the next six years. In fact, everyday we are bombarded with political advertisements from TV commericial telling the life story of each candidate to banners and streamers with their face and designated ballot number. Not to mention, the country’s biggest media conglomerates have initiated different several rounds of debate to give candidate an avenue to present their platforms and campaign materials. But with so much going on in the media today, how well do you know each of their plans for the country?

Traffic congestion, poverty, poor health system, rise of unemployment rate, inadequate education and lack of infrastructure are some of the issues that the country is currently facing. All candidates have pristine political background and genuine intent to make the country better in all aspects but are they truly up for the challenge?

We have 6 lawmakers vying for the second-highest position in the government namely Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Senator Chiz Escudero, Senator Gregorio Honasan II, Senator Bongbong Marcos Jr., Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo, and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

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Iconic Australian wine brand Penfolds, made its official debut in the Philippines at a dinner event hosted by the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely. Held at renowned restaurant Blackbird which is located at the historical Nielson Tower, and attended by key representatives from the food and beverage industry, the venue provided a fitting backdrop to launch the luxury wine brand.

Voted the ‘World’s Most Admired Wine Brand’ by Drinks International, an internationally recognised media authority in the wine and spirits industry, in their annual poll where almost 200 international industry experts including buyers, sommeliers, wine writers, Masters of Wine, industry experts and wine critics took part which pits wine brands from all global regions, styles and qualities against each other.

“I am pleased to host the formal launch of Penfolds in the Philippines, as we celebrate 70 years of Australia-Philippine bilateral relations. Penfolds is an example of an Australian brand which has enjoyed great success worldwide. I’m confident Penfolds wines will also be very well received in the Philippines, as Filipinos’ taste for fine wine continue to grow.” said Ambassador Gorely.

Yodi Mootoosamy, Treasury Wine Estates Regional Business Manager SEA, said, “Penfolds is one of Australia’s oldest and most iconic wineries, with a history and heritage that reflects the country’s journey growth. Penfolds has played a pivotal role in the evolution of winemaking in Australia – and across the world”.

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Asia’s premier event for media, telecoms and entertainment industry APOS (Asia Pacific Pay-TV Operators Summit) recently gathered leaders from established companies and fast growing new businesses fostering discussions on the video sector and the ecosystem of creating, distributing and monetizing content.

APOS 2016, held at Bali Indonesia last April 26 to April 28, focused on the video industry, including TV and digital video. A fast growing $105 billion business, leaders sought to explore its exponential growth with the rapid evolution of consumer behavior and choices. Its key themes were centered on exploring opportunities and facing challenges that come with it.

Among the top themes for APOS 2016 include the future of content creation and distribution, video streaming, content packaging and pricing in broadband, social video curation and sports in digital platforms, among others.

With hundreds of participants from telco to entertainment companies, the summit saw 60 of the most innovative company leaders share their expertise and points of view on the various themes. Globe Telecom President and CEO Ernest Cu participated in a discussion on Game Changers and Disruptors, sharing how the company continues to prosper in a high-growth but increasingly aggressive market. Cu touched on its play in strengthening its digital content franchises giving it a competitive advantage. Moderating this Q&A with Cu is Media Partners Asia (MPA) Executive Director Vivek Couto.

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Commemorating the 156th Birthday of Philippine revolution hero and independent church founder Gen. Gregorio Aglipay, Diwa Partylist Representative Emmeline "Em" Aglipay-Villar was at the Pandesal Forum of Kamuning Bakery on May 5, 2016 for a small ceremony and press conference.

The Diwa partylist is running for re-election and represented by the daughter in law of the Manuel and Cynthia Villar whose son Mark is married to Em Aglipay, the great great granddaughter of Gen. Gregorio Aglipay.

Em goes on to share a lengthy speech to both explain about why the good general never had a fair share of recognition even though he had numerous worthy acts during his time. It was said that the general ran for President against Quezon during his time but failed to win because he was not popular with the Americans back then.

The lady representative of Diwa also shared some of their advocacy platform primarily focused on far and just labor practices. She shared that they are in favor of ending contractualization but only for the non-core functions of a business. She used as example an airline where the pilots and stewardess would be considered as part of the core functions of the business which should not hire contractual employees for the said positions. Meanwhile functions like catering would be considered as open for contractualization.

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The summer months are here again! And what better way to spend it than with the must-haves that are sure to make your days cooler and lighter. Whether it’s a laptop that will allow you a more productive work setup or an air-conditioner that makes home a more comfortable place to live in, the good news is that there is an easy, simple and fast way to get these in time for this season.

Laptops, air-conditioners and more

With a lot of schools now shifting their calendars to include classes during the summer months, laptops are now also timely to purchase. Available in Silicon Valley branches, Asus, Acer and Lenovo are among the most popular brands offering the most reasonably-priced feature-packed laptops available in the market today.

Summer can also be enjoyed at the comfort of your own home. Offered at Automatic Centre are a wide variety of the latest and most budget-friendly air-conditioners that are sure to make your house cooler and more comfortable without causing a big dent in your savings. Whether it’s a split-type or a window-style one, an air-conditioner is a welcome addition to any household during this time of the year. You can also add-in a new TV and other appliances to spruce your home up even more.

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Sophos, a global leader in network and endpoint security, today revealed SophosLabs research that indicates a growing trend among cybercriminals to target and even filter out specific countries when designing ransomware and other malicious cyberattacks. The research includes information from millions of endpoints worldwide and is analyzed by the team at SophosLabs.

To lure more victims with their attacks, cybercriminals are now crafting customized spam to carry threats using regional vernacular, brands and payment methods for better cultural compatibility, according to Sophos.

Ransomware cleverly disguised as authentic email notifications, complete with counterfeit local logos, is more believable, highly clickable and therefore more financially rewarding to the criminal. To be as effective as possible, these scam emails now impersonate local postal companies, tax and law enforcement agencies and utility firms, including phony shipping notices, refunds, speeding tickets and electricity bills. SophosLabs has seen a rise in spam where the grammar is more often properly written and perfectly punctuated.

“You have to look harder to spot fake emails from real ones,” said Chester Wisniewski, senior security advisor at Sophos. “Being aware of the tactics used in your region is becoming an important aspect of security.”

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Your Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas was invited to attend the launch of the new MINI convertible, the only premium convertible in the small car segment that offers a refreshing open-top driving experience on all four seats. held on April 5, 2016 at the MINI showroom in Bonifacio Global City.

MINI Asia and MINI Philippines says it is available in two variants: MINI Cooper Convertible S and MINI John Cooper Works Convertible. What was unveiled to us during the launch was the former in a stunning chili red color. Now, is this something fiery to drive during the scorching summer heat in the Philippines? Why not! Who cares about the heat when we could look fabulously good driving the MINI Convertible.

Seriously, we can easily put on the car roof for the sunny or rainy days, and only partially open it during days when you just want to feel the natural blow of the wind instead of the air-conditioning. But when the breeze is cool, just like the MINI Convertible, we can fully open up the top for a more refreshing drive around everywhere, within the metro or at the provinces.