test

By Bea Santina Maranan and Jude Aldrich Allaga Undas is right around the corner. Remembrance of the dead lies deep in the spirit of Filipinos.  Spooky stories in this cold breeze will make you feel the thrill of visiting these creepy locations. Come and join us as we recall these stories in the days leading to Halloween. Photo courtesy of PhilstarLife/Wikipedia/Esquire Philippines/Corregidor.org Ang Babae sa Balete The lady in Balete Drive remains one of the most famous urban legends in Filipino folklore, being retold for 73 years in a row. The story is about the mystery behind the woman's death in Balete. Many versions of the story have been retold. However, it all boils down to the legend–the spirit of a woman that roams around Balete Drive in Quezon City haunts motorists. The young woman is allegedly named “Leni.” According to the victim's friend Leni is the ghost roaming around Balete. She died in a car accident at the said location in 1949. Leni was a hit-and-run victim, a...

By Jasmine Joy Panes Are Filipinos excited to see Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) on the next level? As part of the country’s interests to expand our participation in space exploration, PhilSA is expecting to receive its 756-million-peso budget for the year 2023, which the agency will use for building a “game changer” project. Photo courtesy of Speed Magazine/Blogspot Short for the “Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment” satellite, MULA is a satellite device weighing 130 kilograms and carrying a “true color camera” capable of capturing higher resolution images “covering around 73,000 square kilometers” of the country in just a day. Marcos to tap PhilSA for the improvement of country’s security and economy President Ferdinand Marcos said that he met with the PhilSA last October 18, 2022 wherein the agency outlined its plans. In a tweet, he said that he believed that we can boost national security, calamity preparedness, and improve our economy through the data and science of PhilSA. H...

By Kristina Manalo While more and more individuals in the modern world are accepting that gender is more than just being a man or a woman, Filipinos in same-sex partnerships still need to travel to countries where same-sex marriage is legal in order to get married. Why might there not be a law that gives same-sex couples in the Philippines the same legal rights as heterosexual couples, such as the capacity to wed and start a family? What really distinguishes same-sex marriage from same-sex civil unions, and which should our nation legalize first? Here’s what you need to know about these two. 1.) Defining the two A. What is same-sex marriage?  Same-sex marriage is a legal marriage between two people of the same sex. It can be male to male or female to female. The ceremony for sealing the marriage is performed before a judge or any official who has the power bestowed by the law. In some cases, selected churches perform ceremonies for this kind of marriage, like the Scottish Episcopal...

By Danielle Anne G. Chua “Hello, nanalo ka ng cellphone! I-click mo ang link para i-claim!” “Gusto mo bang kumita nang libre sa isang online game? Register na sa website!” “H3ll0, Tito m0 i2. Ibang number ang gamit qu0h… padalhan m0h nmn 4k0h 5k.. tnx.” *Unknown number is calling…* If you try to open your call logs and text messages, it is certain that you see a lot of this random information. You become puzzled and confused about how these unfamiliar phone numbers land in yours. You become worried that you might become a victim of prevalent cybercrimes. Will the SIM Card Registration become the lightbulb moment for this alarming problem…or will it be another bullet to watch out for? Here is everything that you need to know about the newly signed Republic Act No. 11934. Past of the act Right before the specific details are elaborated on this explainer, it is highly important to trace the history of this law. Former President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the SIM Card Registration Bill last Ap...

by Joseph Clyde Famularcano As the country head into a long weekend in light of Undas, #PaengPH came barreling from the Pacific Ocean to bring havoc on the islands of Visayas and Mindanao. Leaving a trail of casualties in its wake, it continues to traverse the country, leaving communities flooded, homes and properties destroyed and thousands of Filipinos affected.  Timeline of #PaengPH On October 26, 8 AM, a low pressure area (LPA) east of Eastern Visayas developed into a tropical depression to be locally known as "Paeng,” the 16th tropical cyclone of 2022 and 4th for the month of October. It has a maximum sustained wind of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 55 kph to which it maintained throughout the day.  The next day, the tropical depression slightly intensified. Its maximum sustained winds increased to 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 70 kph, forecasted to reach tropical storm category within 24 hours and may bec...

by Ashlee Marquez and Jamilla Vidanes As the Halloween season approaches, many of us prepare for the spooky holiday in different ways; either through costumes, candies, decorations, or even things to watch – all ages can celebrate Halloween! It brings artistry and gives an opportunity to everyone to dress up as whoever or whatever they want. Whether it be a ghost, a zombie, or even a unicorn, Halloween lets our imaginations run wild! It also lets both the kids and the adults spend time with their loved ones, regardless if it’s movie night, a party, or even a night to trick or treating. This article presents five movies and five shows to watch for Halloween, and why it gives the seasonal goosebumps! Photo Courtesy of Wallpaper Abyss, The Scream, and The Insidious Insidious (2010)  Directed by James Wan, the movie revolves around two parents, namely Josh and Renei, taking drastic measures when they discover that their new home is haunted and that an entirely different entity is posse...

by Lhiera Nicole Trinidad Harry Styles left his fans awestruck with his latest music video release for “Music For A Sushi Restaurant” on Thursday, October 27. Photo Courtesy of Music for A Sushi Restaurant/Harry Styles The three-minute music video follows the 28-year-old pop superstar as a bearded mermaid man unearthed by a crew of chefs, ending up in their sushi restaurant’s kitchen. While Styles is known for his flamboyant fashion and bold ventures beyond the norms, his unforeseen parade with a grown stubble sparked a slew of reactions from Stylers. It was a divided commotion on Twitter, with some expressing their delight in his wet bearded look and some voicing their displeasure. In an interview, the singer-songwriter revealed the motivation behind the song, saying he, together with his producer, was in a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles when the idea came up. “Music For A Sushi Restaurant” is a track from the third studio album, “Harry’s House” which features 13 tracks including th...

Ni Manuel Arthur Machete Agarang bumalik ang hari’t reyna ng liga upang bawiin ang kanilang iniwang trono’t korona. Diniskaril ng top-seeded Blacklist International, sa pamumuno nina OhMyV33nus at Wise, ang asam na unang tropeyo ng ECHO PH makaraang magposte ng 4-2 kartada upang muling mabawi ang kanilang trono sa Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Season 10 Grand Finals sa Blue Leaf Cosmopolitan sa Quezon City, Linggo. Photo Courtesy of MPL PH Ito na ang ikatlong kampeonato ng Blacklist at V33Wise tandem mula sa huling apat na finals ng MPL Philippines. Kinilala naman bilang MPL Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) si Edward “Edward” Dapadap matapos magtala ng game-high two kills per game (KPG), 6.33 assists per game (APG), at five KDA para maakay ang power duo sa tropeyo. Naging matikas ang simula ng unang laro ng serye matapos maitala ang 13-5 iskor kontra ECHO nang mahablot ng Blacklist ang liderato, 1-0, makaraang magtala ng seven kills at five assists kartada si Dan...

By John Rei Salanga The Philippine national women’s football team are slated to debut in the FIFA Women’s World Cup as they are fixed into Group A during the 2023 draw ceremony held in Aotea Center in Auckland, New Zealand, on Saturday. Photo Courtesy of FIFA After a FIFA berth-clinching victory over Chinese Taipei in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, the Filipinas were drawn in the group stage alongside Norway, Switzerland, and co-host New Zealand. In its world cup debut, the Philippines will face world No. 21 Switzerland, whose last world appearance was in the Canadian FIFA, on July 21 in Dunedin, New Zealand. Meanwhile, the 53rd-ranking Filipinas will be toiling with the 1995 champions and world No. 12 Norwegian booters, who are statistically the best team to beat in Group A, on July 25 in Wellington. More so, the Filipina kickers are gearing towards a redemption arc after a 1-2 loss to the home-playing Kiwis in a friendly match last month in California, USA as they go through a seque...

by Mark Angelo Mañez Basketball in the Philippines, once again took themselves in the spotlight–but for bad (or even worse) reasons. Cartoon by Ace Lorico Of course, there are reasons why the country continues sliding down in most sports, especially in basketball. It’s like going further back, instead of going forward. Not to mention the fact that we are going to host the FIBA Basketball World Cup in less than a year’s time. Then, there comes the exodus of players who opt to bring their talent to other Asian leagues. Which, they think it's causing more bad than good if we talk about preparations for international tournaments. What is really holding back our progress in this sport we have literally embraced since the Americans stepped on our country? And what measures (or countermeasures) have to be done to prevent it from getting worse? Speaking of which, there has (or have) been squabbles and it seems that these may end up unresolved if not fixed or remedied before we welcome the ...

By Ignacius Carell Cruz There is a reason why all teams in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) face Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to their highest level of play until the final buzzer. Their bitter rivals, Magnolia Timplados Hotshots, were reminded of it in the most painful way. Photo Courtesy of PBA Reigning Most Valuable Player Scottie Thompson scored nine of his 14 points in the pay-off period to give Ginebra its first victory in Manila Clasico after three years, 103-97, inside the Mall of Asia Arena, Sunday. Ginebra’s resident import Justin Brownlee added a game-high 26 markers, 12 assists, and five blocks including a crucial rejection on Magnolia’s reinforcement Nicholas Rakocevic with 23 seconds left in the game to protect the Gin King’s two-point lead and ultimately secure the win with cold-blooded free throws. After being in the driver’s seat for over forty minutes, the league-leading Magnolia ran out of steam in the regulation period where they surrendered a ten-point le...

Last August 30 - 31 was the successful 8th run of this webinar that was attended by almost 700+ participants. And now, Training and Seminars by Villasis Law Center (VLC) will launch again its most requested online seminar entitled “ Paralegal Certification Seminar: English for Future Lawyers, Drafting of Legal Forms, Pleading and Basic Court Procedure ” on October 27 & 28, 2022, via Zoom.  The upcoming seminar will be led by law professor and Bar reviewer Prof. Roney Jone P. Gandeza and VLC’s Review Director, Assoc. Dean Christian G. Villasis –one of the country’s sought-after lecturers in the MCLE Seminars and a favorite resource speaker in special seminars and conferences. The main focus of the Paralegal Certification Seminar is to provide a comprehensive discussion on fundamental and practical knowledge of the Philippine legal system and an overview of principles and procedures in civil, criminal, and quasi-judicial courts or offices of the Philippine government. Further,...