Ateneo Blue Repertory Presents “Real-Life Fairytales” A Musical Scene-Cycle From Sept 20 – Oct. 1

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Ateneo Blue Repertory presents “Real Life Fairytales”, a blueREP original play, for it’s 25th Season Premiere. Real-Life Fairytales is a series of six unique vignettes about how fantastical real life can be, or alternately, how fantasy isn’t so different from real life. Contemporary issues such as mental health, body image, and drug use are examined through the lens of the magical and unusual.

This musical scene-cycle is written and musically directed by a homegrown blueREP talent, Ejay Yatco; who is a composer, musical director and pianist. In 2013, he represented the Philippines in the World Championship of the Performing Arts where he made it to the top 3 and took home a gold and three silver medals. He was also nominated twice for Best Musical Direction and once for Best Music at the BroadwayWorld.com Awards. Lastly, he composed and arranged music for well-known companies such as City of Dreams, PNB, Resort's World, Bonanza Foods, Pepsodent, Pepsi, SM, Arlington and IBPAP.

Alongside Ejay Yatco, Real-Life Fairytales is directed by Missy Maramara who is a renowned instructor in the Theater Arts Program of the Ateneo's Department of Fine Arts. She holds an MFA in Drama (Performance) from the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville), through the International Fulbright Scholarship program. Since her return to the Ateneo in 2014, she has directed several plays: blueREP's "Urinetown", Upstart Productions' "Gruesome Playground Injuries", Ateneo Fine Arts' "Iphigenia and Other Daughters", "Authorial Intent" and "The Sound of a Voice". Aside from drecting, she has also served the theater community through performing in several productions. The most recent are Ateneo Fine Arts' "Purgatorio", Dulaang UP's "The Dressing Room", Ikarus' "It's April What Are We Doing Here", and New York United Solo Festival's "Clytemnestra". 

September To Be Declared as Month for National Truth-Telling on Martial Law?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Two days before the country commemorates the declaration of Martial Law, Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros filed a joint resolution calling on the government to declare the month of September of every year as a time for national truth-telling, reflection, and reconciliation.

Hontiveros, who was joined by student council leaders from Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), University of the Philippines (UP), De La Salle University (DLSU) and Adamson University, said that there is a strong need to tell the truth about Martial Law and protect the country's history from revisionists who want to paint a rosy picture of the dictatorship and absolve the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos of his crimes against the people.


"Don't let Marcoses steal again"

"Huwag natin hayaan na pagnakawan tayong muli ng mga Marcoses. Huwag natin payagan na nakawin nila ang ating kasaysayan at katotohanan," Hontiveros said.

("We must not allow the Marcoses to steal from us again. We must not allow them to rob us of our truth and sense of history.")

Hontiveros' resolution, whose counterpart in the House of Representatives is authored by Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin, urges all schools and other educational institutions to conduct month-long educational activities to commemorate the declaration of Martial Law and educate the youth of the democratic values and practices the nation adheres to and experiences today in contrast to the dictatorial regime installed by Marcos more than 40 years ago.

The first-term Senator explained that her proposal for a "truth-telling month" is consistent with the provision of Republic Act No. 10368 or the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013, which authorizes the government to implement the mandatory teaching of Martial Law history at all levels of education. She however lamented that three years have already passed since the passage of the law, the government's educational institutions have not yet included the teaching of Martial Law history in the basic, secondary, and tertiary education.

Hontiveros also renewed her opposition to the government's plan to bury the remains of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. She said the proposal is "the ultimate act of airbrushing history in favor of the Marcoses."

"I call on the Duterte administration to implement the mandatory teaching of Martial Law history to students as provided for by RA 10368 and abandon its plan to give Marcos a hero's burial," Hontiveros said.

Globe Expansion of Network Infrastructure, Capacity at Full Throttle

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In line with new vision for Philippines to become an admired nation for having 1st world internet connectivity, Globe Telecom goes full throttle in its ongoing expansion of its network infrastructure and capacities to improve the internet experience of its customers. The company’s aggressive stance in expanding its network capacities is in line with the company’s new vision for the Philippines to become an admired nation for having a first world internet connectivity.

Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu said that more and more of the company’s customers will experience improved services as adoption of LTE-capable devices increases and as the telco provider continues to deploy LTE 700 in more sites. “Guided by our new purpose of ‘treating people right to create a Globe of Good’, the company is aggressively fast tracking a multi-pronged network infrastructure and capacity expansion build to provide our customer a better internet experience,” said Cu.

Cu said the company’s deployment of LTE service using the 700 megahertz (MHz) frequency is now in full swing, adding Globe expects to have around 250 LTE 700 sites by the end of September. According to Cu, the company plans to activate more than 500 LTE 700 sites across the country by the end 2016. Majority of the company’s LTE 700 sites will cover major business districts and highly-urbanized and populated areas in the country, including Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao. He emphasized Globe is maximizing the use of the previously idle 700 MHz band in fulfillment of its commitment to the National Telecommunications Commission to improve the overall internet experience of its customers following the sell-out of San Miguel’s telco assets.

Parallel to this, Globe also began rolling out a capacity expansion program for its corporate data network to address bandwidth requirement of its enterprise clients as they make use of various data solutions to improve business efficiency, enhance productivity, and boost competitiveness, Cu disclosed. Specifically, the company will be upgrading its corporate sites with the deployment of fiber-optic technology. This year alone, at least 61 sites are being upgraded, with 455 sites scheduled for next year.

As part of its efforts to create an internet superhighway nationwide, Globe recently completed the deployment of fiber broadband technology in Binondo, Manila, an initiative that will provide world-class internet experience for Globe customers in the district, said Cu. Globe plans to deploy fiber optics in 20,000 barangays by 2020 that will provide ultra-fast internet access to around 2 million homes nationwide.