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By Ryann Yap With the United States' Final 16 ticket on the line, Christian Pulisic drained a bittersweet score to end Iran’s campaign on Wednesday (PhST) at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Group B in Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar. Photo Courtesy of Le Monde Approaching the 38-minute mark, USA’s Pulisic latched onto the Iranian defense en route to a 1-0 advantage. However, the unsung hero banged his abdominal section against opposing goalie Alireza Beiranvand and was ruled out for the rest of the game.  According to USA Coach Gregg Berhalter, Pulisic was taken to the hospital right at the end of the game for precaution purposes. Though losing a key player, the United States kept their head straight to force Iran pointless, due to their concrete defense even after the Pulisic incident. With the triumphant feat, the US paved their redemption arc after falling short at the hands of the Iranians, 2-1, in their group stage at the 1998 World Cup. The 24-year-old Pulisic charged an aerial hea...

By Danielle Chua and Joseph Clyde Famularcano Elon Musk has a new toy! A 44 billion USD toy named Twitter. Since acquiring the social media platform in the first half of 2022, Twitter, more than ever, has become the subject of conversations instead of just being the platform of communication.  Elon Musk, who? Before actually having a conversation about the said bird app, it is equally important to know who Elon Musk is…even way before he bought Twitter in his pockets.  Tracing a huge success, Musk has always sparked public attention due to his go-getting mindset ever since. According to Sherman (2022), his entrepreneurial skills and talents were highly evident in his childhood and teenage years. Originally born in South Africa, concrete examples were his brave decision of seeking bigger opportunities in the United States and Canada — and even developing his own video game at 12 years old! In the lens of both his early years and his business journey, it was certainly not an eas...

By Xy Aldrae Murillo Following the recent conviction of a police officer for torturing and killing two teenagers in the heat of former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs in 2017, the Philippine National Police (PNP) amplified that misbehaving officers do not reflect the integrity of the entire organization. Photo Courtesy of ABS-CBN News Public Information Office Chief Col. Redrico Maranan claimed that the PNP keeps its duty to advocate for human rights across all police operations in fighting crimes and violence. ”Nevertheless, any acts committed by erring personnel [do] not reflect the views of the whole PNP organization," Maranan said. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla also added that the said conviction of the policeman is proof that the country does not conform to impunity. "We don’t want impunity to rule in our country... We will never succumb to impunity. All of these forces have to deal with the consequences of all their actions,...

By Sandra Cabangon Haze does not only cause health issues such as irritation to the eyes, nose, or the throat; it also reduces the quality of images we capture. Hazy images that are supposed to help us find clues in solving cases and problems, and preserving precious moments are of little help in achieving these objectives. However, thanks to a novel technology known as "dehazing," we are now able to remove haze from the photography of a scene in order to enhance or restore image quality. Dehazing methods are constantly being developed, and one of the recent innovations is that of Neil Patrick Gallego and his colleagues Joel Ilao, Macario Cordel II, and Conrado Ruiz Jr, from De La Salle University (DLSU). Photo Courtesy of DSLU GAME Lab Del Gallego and his colleagues’ idea is a new approach for training a physics-based dehazing network. RGB images and depth maps – image channels that contain information relating to the distance of the surfaces of scene objects from a viewpoi...

By Reyza Ferranco Pope Francis dismissed all current leaders of Caritas Internationalis, including its president, former Manila archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, for the envisaged renewal of the Institution. Photo Courtesy of CBCP News/Jonathan Cellona (ABS-CBN News) As stated in the November 22 Vatican decree, the pope deemed it necessary to revise the current governing regulations to “make it more appropriate to the statutory functions of the organization,” as well as to prepare it for the elections to be held at the next general assembly. In the meantime, Cardinal Tagle will be aiding the pope’s appointed temporary administrator, Pier Francesco Pinelli, throughout the transition. Among Pinelli’s many tasks as interim head is to amend the organization’s statutes and bylaws.  The cardinal further cleared out that the decision to cease all officers has no relation with any case of financial mismanagement nor sexual impropriety, and that the pope’s move is only for the be...

By Elaizarose Golfo Sa kalagitnaan ng pandemya, umusbong pa rin ang paggamit ng skincare cosmetics upang mapaganda ang postura ng ating mga sarili kahit matabunan man ito ng kasuotan. Nagsulputan ang iba’t ibang produkto ng nasabing cosmetics , lalo na sa mga online sites kagaya ng Shopee at Lazada. Sabihin nating epektibo nga ang mga ito, ngunit alam mo ba na isa itong banta sa iyong kalusugan?  Karamihan sa mga pampagandang produkto ay nilalagyan ng substansyang “mercury” na ginagamit bilang preserbatibo at skin lightener. Ang murang sangkap na ito ay ang sinasabing tutupad ng pangakong babata ang itsura ng sinumang gagamit ng mga produkto. Photo Courtesy of Thermofisher Salungat dito, ang "mercury" ay itinuturing isang lason sa ating kalusugan. Hindi na siguro makabagong salita ang “mercury” sapagkat sumikat na rin ito noong ginagamit pa sa ating thermometer . Kung hindi naman ito ligtas, bakit pinapayagan pa na ilagay sa produkto? May itinakdang limitasyon ang Food ...

by John Anton Garcia Periodically administered by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), this year’s National Health Demographic Survey reported that the total fertility rate (TFR) of Filipino women aged 15 to 49 years old had seen a 0.8 unit decrease from the previous 2017 tally. Photo Courtesy of Philstar and  GlobalGiving In a statement released last November 14, the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) relayed these findings amidst widespread reports of the world population now being at 8 billion. Despite foreseeing a fertility increase due to the lack of access to family planning services during lockdowns and the world population hitting the 8 billion mark last November 15, PopCom noted that the Philippines was still “able to register recent population statistics unheard of in years, with fertility numbers plummeting to less than two offspring per woman.” The recorded TFR, at 1.9 children, is the third lowest in the ASEAN region and is lower than the ave...

By Andreah Dianne M. Cartagena  An earlier unidentified object found about 800 yards west of Pag-asa Island was "forcefully retrieved" by Chinese coast guards, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines' Western Command (WESCOM). Photo Courtesy of Rappler/Wescom (Facebook) WESCOM commander Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos stated that the object was found following thunder-like sounds from 11 am to 3 pm on Monday, November 21. The Naval Station Emilio Liwanag (NSEL) retrieved the debris, but Carlos said that a Chinese coast guard vessel blocked them and "forcefully retrieved said floating object by cutting the towing line attached to the NSEL rubber boat." The Chinese embassy denied the claims as the Chinese vessel retrieved it after a "friendly consultation" instead. “The Chinese side expressed gratitude to the Philippine side. There was no so-called blocking of the course of a Philippine Navy boat and forcefully retrieving the object at the scene,” the ...

Cartoon by Alex Macatuno & Billy Abistado

Ni Xhiela Mie Cruz Pinangunahan ni Senator Grace Poe ang pagpapatuloy ng implementasyon ng programang “Libreng Sakay” sa 2023 bilang napasama ito sa badyet para sa susunod na taon ayon kay Senator Sonny Angara. Photo Courtesy of  GMA News/AFP Sa isang panayam sa Super Radyo DZBB, ipinahayag ni Angara ang kanyang mga komento matapos tanungin ang mga saloobin nito partikular sa naturang isyu. “Alam ko tuloy ho ‘yun. Nasa budget ho ‘yung para sa Libreng Sakay. Dinagdagan din po nila… Ang head ho niyan sina Senator Grace Poe,” saad nito. “Talagang nakatutok siya diyan sa ayuda, sa mga tsuper, sa mga operator ng PUV, tricycle, lahat ‘yan may mga tulong— ‘yung vouchers, fuel vouchers, ‘yung Libreng Sakay. ‘Yan ang ilang programa na talagang natutulungan ay pangkaraniwang mamamayan," sabi pa ni Angara. Sa kabilang banda, humiling ng may kabuuang halaga na 12 bilyong piso ang Department of Transportation (DOTr) sa pagpapatuloy ng implementasyon ng Libreng Sakay para sa taong 2023. An...

By Sandra Cabangon The Department of Health (DOH) estimated more than 31 million COVID-19 vaccines, amounting to ₱15.6 billion, have gone to waste as of November 2022. Photo Courtesy of Reuters/DOH During the Senate deliberations on the DOH’s proposed budget last November 17,  31.3 million vaccines were identified as “wastages,” accounting for 12% of the 250.38 million doses that the government has received.  Senator Risa Hontiveros expressed her concern over the country’s vaccine wastage rate, stating that the number of jabs wasted as of this month is almost 11 million higher than the reported 20.7 million wastage in August. "Nakakalungkot lang na sa tatlong buwang pagitang 'yan, tumaas pa sa 12% kahit pasok pa rin sa 25% ceiling ng WHO. Nadagdagan pa ng 11 million doses na nasayang pa three months later," Hontiveros said. Meanwhile, Senator Pia Cayetano, sponsor of the proposed DOH budget for next year, pointed out that one of the reasons for the wastage was the short ...

By Andreah Dianne M. Cartagena Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag, who was suspended for being linked to journalist Percy Lapid's killing, was also called out for discovered controversies during his term, including the excavation of a deep swimming pool and discovery of contrabands and animals inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). Photo Courtesy of CNN PH and Richard A. Reyes State prosecutors served a subpoena to Bantag on November 15 after being tagged as the mastermind of Lapid's killing, which he has since denied. In his defense, the suspended BuCor chief claimed that he ordered the excavation of the planned deep swimming pool as he was a scuba diver. The hole was discovered to be 200 meters wide and 30 meters deep and was said to have a tunnel below. “Malalim ‘yon, gagawin sana naming swimming pool. Ang dami naming scuba divers do’n. Master scuba diver ako eh. Kaya mahilig akong ano, gusto namin pinaka-deepest swimming pool sana dito sa Metro Manil...

By Xy Aldrae Murillo Amid fears of losing job opportunities for about 50,000 Filipino seafarers, the Philippine’s Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) said they signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the French Embassy in the country. Photo Courtesy of MARINA/Inquirer.net The said MOA was signed last November 8 by MARINA Administrator Hernani Fabia and Olivier Ginepro, Economic Service Head of the French Embassy in the Philippines, to enhance maritime security and safety. Under the signed agreement, France will deploy a French maritime professional in the Philippines to provide MARINA with necessary development enhancements such as training and technical assistance in consultancy services. The memorandum also calls for the promotion of France's best maritime practices in ensuring the safety of people and property at sea, maritime security, and the protection of the marine environment. Furthermore, the agreement is to encourage active participation in developing international s...

By Genevieve Candace Poquiz "First of all, I would like to categorically state that there is no government policy of engaging in red-tagging which is a term invented by the left to protect the left. There is no such policy of engaging in red-tagging." Photo Courtesy of Denis Balibouse (Reuters)/Rappler This was how Justice Secretary Boying Remulla responded amid countries seeking an end to the red-tagging of journalists and human rights activists in the Philippines as he led a delegation from the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on Monday, November 14. The UPR is an examination of the status of human rights in the country, led by United Nations Human Rights Council (UN HRC) member-states which is the fourth time in its four-year cycle that the Philippines underwent review. The United States of America is among the eight member-states that pushed for a stop to the practice, seeking to protect human rights defenders by revoking laws that over...

By Christina Erbon  A baby girl born in Tondo, Manila is considered the world's "8 billionth baby," proving a United Nations (UN) prediction made earlier this year. Photo Courtesy of  Jire Carreon (Rappler)/Nico Waje (GMA News) Venice Mabansag, the world's eight billionth population newborn is regarded as a blessing by her mother, Maria Margarette Villorente. The Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) chief administrative officer, Lyneth Therese Monsalve, expressed hope that Venice will become a symbol of development in the future.  "We are looking at, particularly the local government units, for the possible interventions that they have to give for these babies and the coming other babies for that matter in terms of health, education, then housing when they grow up,” she added.  Via normal delivery, Baby Venice was born on November 15 at Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, Manila. “So we just witnessed the world’s 8th billion baby in the Philippines....

Ni Xhiela Mie Cruz Binahaginan ng ilang political experts ang oposisyon ng epektibong campaign strategies na magagamit umano nito upang makasungkit ng maraming botante sa eleksyon. Photo Courtesy of Philippine Star/BBC News Ani Arjan P. Aguirre, isang political science professor sa Ateneo de Manila University, kinakailangan ang pagkakaroon ng politikal na adyenda at mga programa upang makuha ang buong puso't isipan ng mga botante. "This should be coupled with an innovative approach in engaging the larger populace, especially the D and E classes using their language, touching on their aspirations, knowing their disposition,” ani Aguirre. Kaugnay nito, kabilang umano ang sinseridad sa paghahanap ng makabagong adyenda at pagkakaroon ng koneksyon sa mga nasasakupan sa mga dapat na pagtuunan ng pansin. Kinatigan ito ng political economy researcher na si Hansley A. Juliano nang sabihing dapat na bigyang-diin kung paano maaapektuhan ng kabilang panig ang seguridad at pamumuhay ng mg...

By Prince Luke Alicum Cerdenia Cartoon by Billy Abistado It is not a hidden fact that the Philippines is home to brilliant inventors in various fields of art. Doubtlessly, there are thousands of Filipino filmmakers who harbor creative and innovative ideas that can be manifested into reality with the appropriate amount of resources.  From present-day crafts to timeless pieces that can be traced back to ancient times of the 1900s, the beauty of Filipino cinema has been deeply integrated into the aspects of our culture. Yet in spite of all these, a lot of our lawmakers still hold onto the belief that the sole way of boosting the allegedly declining support towards local shows is banning foreign ones in the country, particularly Korean dramas.  During the budget hearing of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Senator Jinggoy Estrada brought up the idea of prohibiting international shows in the country to help uplift and protect local films.  According to Es...

By Annika Gorgeana Maningo About 100 Grab delivery drivers held a "unity ride" on Thursday, November 10, along Fuente Osmeña Circle to protest and voice their complaints about decreases in delivery pay and incentives. Photo Courtesy of The Freeman/Bloomberg According to Grab PH managers, most protesters were not actually delivery partners anymore. Jefren Abalo, the United Delivery Riders of the Philippines (RIDERS) organizer, said in an interview with Rappler, "Gusto namo ipadayag nga wala mi nalipay sa gibuhat sa Grab management sa among mga ka-Grab sa tibuok Cebu,” claiming that they are not happy about Grab’s decision of salary cuts. The riders said many businesses used their services to help families and frontline workers who were stranded at home during the pandemic. In addition, they said they were also paid between P1,500 and P2,000 per day at that time. “We were hit during the pandemic but we’re proud to have served and supported the economy during those times,”...