Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Friday, December 23, 2016

Hontiveros Lauds 2017 Budget with Historic Debt Audit Provision, Health Reforms

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"A historic first in the history of the Philippine budget system."

This is how Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros described the passage of the 2017 national government budget that contains a special provision mandating Congress to conduct a comprehensive audit of the country's debt.

The said provision tasked the Congressional Oversight Committee on Overseas Development Assistance to conduct a debt audit to determine the legitimacy of a list of loan agreements challenged as illegitimate. The said debt audit will be conducted in the 2017 fiscal year.

Hontiveros, who introduced the said general provision, said that the process of a debt audit is an important policy tool to unburden the Filipino people from paying onerous and illegitimate debts and beef up funding for social service spending.

"This is truly a historic first. With this provision, we commit to diligently scrutinize the country’s debts if they are indeed in accordance with the principles on promoting responsible sovereign lending and borrowing by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and repudiate the illegitimate part of our overall debt," Hontiveros said.

"I would like to commend the Senate Finance Committee chaired by Senator Loren Legarda, my fellow senators, the Executive branch and the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) for supporting the inclusion of this provision in our national budget," Hontiveros added.

Japan-Made BRP Malabrigo Vessel Commissioned to PCG

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Another Japanese-made Multi-Role Response Vessel (MRRV) has been commissioned to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

The BRP Malabrigo, named after a lighthouse in Batangas, was commissioned in a ceremony at the PCG Headquarters earlier today, granting the vessel an authority to belong to a service and authorize her to perform the mandated mission of the agency. It is the second of 10 MRRVs built and delivered from Japan as part of the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Maritime Felipe Judan led the commissioning ceremony and thanked Japan for its continued support in helping improve the country’s transportation system. He also expressed his gratitude to the men and women of the PCG who have shown unwavering dedication to the service.

“Officials and members of the Philippine Coast Guard have the heart to serve, but need equipment and support,” he said.

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In time for last-minute Christmas shopping and party-hopping, the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT 3) has installed brand new elevators in most stations for the convenience of train passengers.

Twenty-seven out of the 32 elevators will be operational and will be ready to accommodate train passengers starting tomorrow, December 23. Five other elevators are on-going replacement.

MRT-3 General Manager Deo Manalo said the new elevators would ease the commute of passengers during the Holidays. Senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disability will be given priority.

“The elevators would relieve passengers from carrying heavy bags especially this Christmas,” said Manalo

Department of Transportation Secretary Art Tugade will lead the inspection of elevators, to be accompanied by representatives from commuter advocacy and PWD groups.

The installation of new elevators is part of the efforts of the DOTr – MRT3 to improve over-all station experience and provide convenience to commuters. This development is also seen to reduce queues in stations especially during peak hours.

The elevators were ordered last year with the target completion set on January 2017. Further, repair and rehabilitation of escalators are ongoing and expected to be completed on February 2017.

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Sacrifice means to give up something cherished in order to get something even more valuable in the future. This concept also applies to mixed martial arts (MMA) as the path to becoming a world champion is paved with much sacrifice.

To set foot on the pinnacle of success, all fighters must go through blood, sweat and tears in training. Moreover, MMA athletes have to be separated from their families for months to dedicate their lives to the craft that they seek to perfect.

Australian standout Martin Nguyen (7-1) had to undergo the same process as he is slated to square off with former featherweight title contender Kazunori Yokota (25-6-3) in the co-headliner of ONE: QUEST FOR POWER on 14 January.

“The life of a fighter is difficult, but I understand that in order to be the best, fighters have to make certain sacrifices. Spending time away from friends and family to train isn’t easy,” Nguyen said.

For his high-profile bout against Yokota, Nguyen had to give up spending Christmas and the rest of the Yuletide season with his family to fully focus on his training.

Nguyen admitted the most painful sacrifice is the separation from his family, but he knows that there is a reward waiting for him.

“It’s part of being a professional fighter. A lot of sacrifices have been made. Training in December is one of them. I have to give up Christmas celebrations for this fight,” he stated.

“If I want to consider myself as a championship-quality fighter, I have to make that sacrifice. In the end, I will reap the fruits of my labor. Hard work cannot be denied forever,” Nguyen added.

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Impact Hub Manila introduced StartupBoat through a two-day launch on December 13 and 14, 2016. The overall aim was to build a community of creative thinkers, innovators, and entrepreneurs who are passionate to bring change in the community by developing and implementing groundbreaking ideas together. Its main mission is to make innovation accessible for all.

It was during the StartHubs AsiaBerlin Roadshow in Manila when Paula Schwarz (Founder of StartupBoat), Ces Rondario and LizAn Kuster (Co-Founders of Impact Hub Manila), and Ranganath Thota (CEO and Founder of Fuel A Dream India) came together and agreed on launching StartupBoat in Manila, Philippines and Bangalore, India.

In Manila, StartupBoat worked together with Impact Hub Manila and Bayer Foundations to create a platform for individuals who wish to collaborate for the collective growth of the health sector of the country. The main objective was to share, learn and contribute for an implementable action plan in 2017 for the health sector in the Philippines and to mentor startups to act as multipliers.

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Under the direction of DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi, DOE ASec. Gerpy Erguiza visited the Malampaya platform to conduct due diligence regarding the Malampaya scheduled maintenance shutdown from 28 January to 16 February 2017.

In light of the Malampaya maintenance activities next year, the Department of Energy (DOE) through the strong directive of Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi has started preparatory activities jointly with industry stakeholders to safeguard energy consumers from possible impact on supply and prices of electricity during the scheduled maintenance activities from 28 January 2017 to 16 February 2017.

“My directive was clear - the Malampaya maintenance activities should pose no substantial impact to supply of electricity by using all available resources and remedies, because power is a basic necessity for our countrymen,” Sec. Cusi said. He added that plans and alternative modes should be in place and ready before the actual shutdown.

Sec. Cusi said, “We have to ensure that the program works for Malampaya is within the prescribed schedule given to the DOE. Historically, SPEX completed its maintenance period on time. It is expected that it will do the same this time.”

In a meeting with industry participants last 15 December, the DOE was apprised by the Shell Philippines Exploration Corporation (SPEx) of the preparatory works for the Malampaya services maintenance shutdown (Malampaya SMS).

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Several businesses and individuals were again recognized by the National Customers' Choice Awards for their annual awarding for those that have successfully provided excellent products and quality services for 2016.

At the awarding ceremonies held at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila on December 6, 2016, awardees gathered to receive their rightful recognition for all their hard work and diligence in continuously being bold and competitive in their respective businesses.

The event was hosted by Jun Dumlao and Eagle. Various performers, which includes belly dancers, child singer, boy band, a pole dancer, and Carlos Agassi provided entertainment during breaks and dinner.

We got the chance to mingle with a few of the celebrities, namely Bobby Yan, Carlos Agassi, Dimples Romana, and Sig Aldeen, who present at the event. We were also fortunate to interview Dimples and Sig about their Swak na Swak lifestyle show aired every weekends on ABS-CBN.

As what Senate President Aquiino "Koko" Pimentel has said from the ShopBest souvenir magazine, it is important that companies, brands, and services are recognized for satisfying the needs of their clientele. This inspires the people involved to aim for the continued growth that results to increase in employment and economic progress. For a business to be sustainable and among the top, we do need to identify and fulfill the needs of our consumers.

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A short film made by students from the Digital Filmmaking program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde won four major awards in the second annual SineNanay Film Festival held at the Philippine Women’s University Concert Hall on Taft Avenue last December 16.

Uyayi won Best Director (Alda Dalisay), Best Cinematography (Francis Jimenez and Ernestine Joice Bay), Best Sound and Best Production Design (Elaiza Rivera, Robin Estargo and Neil Reyes). Dalisay, Bay and Rivera came up with the story of a first-time mother trying to figure out how to become a caring mother despite being placed in a dire situation. Their entry is one of 120 concepts received by festival organizer Make Your Nanay Proud Foundation from 11 universities and colleges in Metro Manila.

“While brainstorming, I wondered how mothers inside the prison take care of their child, especially those who lived on the streets, got pregnant early and did not have an idea on how to take care of a baby,” Dalisay recalled.

The SineNanay Festival Committee, composed of Festival Director Arnold Reyes, MYNP Managing Director and Festival Secretariat Head Bemz Benedito and MYNP Admin Officer and Festival Coordinator Michelle Fabunan, trimmed down the submissions to 27 entries.

How To Get Rid of Flies Easily?

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Just when you thought that flies are just annoying, remember that they can easily spread diseases cause they can carry different bacteria, viruses and illnesses n their body without much effort. They just sometimes need to sit somewhere you may touch like a handle bar or something and they you can acquire these bacteria after touching an object that has been touched by a fly! So how do you get rid of flies easily? Here are simple ways you may want to consider so you can get rid of flies already:

1. Make sure your area is well sanitized.

- Flies cannot breed in large numbers if their food source is limited. By keeping the trash bins clean and clearing everything that may decay can keep the flies away.

2. Use screen doors and windows for the flies to be kept outside the house.

- Ventilation is very important but from open windows and other form of ventilation can flies get inside a house or a building. By using screen doors and screened windows, flies can be excluded from the house.

3. Food in the household or any place shall be kept in storage properly.

- Whether it is wet, dry or fresh, as long as it emits a strong smell flies could get attracted to and may either swarm the food or linger in that area where they can smell it. It is important to store fresh fruits in a basket or inside the refrigerator to avoid attracting flies. Other food that may have a strong smell shall be kept in a secured or sealed place in order to keep the flies and other insects at bay.

4. Use reliable and effective fly repellents.

- Indeed there’s such a thing as “fly repellents”. It is made specifically to help get rid of flies and the diseases it may bring that could cause harm to one’s health. There are reliable and effective fly repellents but the most remarkable one is Strike Fly Killing Coil!

Strike Fly Killing Coil is highly effective in repelling flies by performing steadily, safely and cleanly in the most economical way possible. Most coils are made using inferior materials which cause unpleasant odors, short ignition time and poor insecticidal effect which could cause major hazards to human and animals. Unlike other coils,Strike Fly Killing Coil is developed in the most scientific and secured process which does not include harmful materials. Though very affordable, Strike Fly Killing Coil has natural environmentally advanced raw carbon powder which is long lasting, effective insecticide effects and safe for all.

As easy as using the Strike Fly Killing Coil, you can now easily get rid of annoying flies!

Like ATC Strike on Facebook.

Microsoft Selects SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite to Transform HR Globally

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SAP SE announced that Microsoft has chosen the full SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite, including SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, for its 114,000 full-time employees. Microsoft selected the SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite for its global capabilities, flexibility and extensibility, and open platform strategy. Microsoft expects not only to reduce costs and drive greater operational efficiency but also to deliver an enhanced employee experience consistent with its mobile-first, cloud-first philosophy that attracts and retains talent, fosters employee engagement and drives improved business outcomes.

Microsoft is the latest addition to a group of global organizations that have selected SAP SuccessFactors human capital management (HCM) solutions to run human resources (HR) in the cloud. As more companies are transforming HR to meet the demands of the digital economy, they are embracing market-leading SAP SuccessFactors solutions to help standardize, simplify and optimize HR processes, and to help increase employee engagement and accelerate innovation through cloud-based HCM.

More than 1,350 leading companies, including Microsoft and Ernst & Young, have selected SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, an innovative core HR system that goes beyond automation to help businesses manage global workforces more efficiently in the cloud.

“HR today has become overly complex, especially for large global enterprises contending with hundreds of legal and regulatory jurisdictions,” said Mike Ettling, president of SAP SuccessFactors. “Microsoft recognizes that transformation requires simplifying that environment, but just as importantly, as a global technology innovator, it also realizes the importance of providing its people with cloud-based solutions that are cool and easy to use. We’re proud to partner in supporting Microsoft’s continuing journey.”