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Mark Angelo Ma ñez Manila - Gilas Pilipinas will open their 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup campaign with a titanic showdown against #23 Dominican Republic and Karl-Anthony Towns. They will also play host to World #10 Italy and #41 Angola in Group A after the conclusion of the Draw at the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum, Saturday night. Photo Courtesy of FIBA Basketball “I would have hoped that the last pick was Ivory Coast instead of Angola because I thought Angola was the tougher team. Not that Ivory Coast is weak by any means. But other than that, it is what it is," Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes expressed after the draw. Group B, meanwhile comprises debutant South Sudan, European juggernaut Serbia, previous World Cup host China, and Puerto Rico. During the 2019 edition in China, Gilas was grouped with Italy and Angola which ended in contrasting setbacks. The Italians bombarded them with a 46-point drubbing, while Angola needed five extra minutes before squeaking past...

 Ashe Marquez “Darling, I want my gay rights now.” – Marsha P. Johnson, queer advocate and drag queen.  Every color represents an image and a message that aims to influence people’s perspectives on what its users believe in. When mixed with other hues, it becomes a new tone and provides changes on this age’s canvas, but what’s making it ugly is the shades that are being thrown into these pigments of movement. Photo Courtesy by Gerard Carreon/Rappler One of the said changes that these people strive for is the approval and recognition of the SOGIE Equality Bill, more commonly known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill. Its recognition among other people would lessen the discrimination that countless queer folks face every day and protect them from any danger that they may face in their daily lives.  It benefits both queer parties and allies, which this article will help elaborate on further. Additionally, the said article lets viewers create an open mind when reading the strugg...

With the return of the highly anticipated and largest conference for Geodetic Engineering students, GESC 2023, to face-to-face assembly, the event has been elevated to an even higher level. To mark its return and its 15th year, GESC will be held alongside its new initiative, the National Geodetic Engineering Summit (NatGES). The National Geodetic Engineering Summit (NatGES) was established in 2023 and aims to foster the development of Geodetic Engineering through a symposium with Geodetic Engineering students and professionals in the Philippines. This will also encapsulate all the breakthroughs and discoveries made in elevating their field of study. The Geodetic Engineering Student Conference (GESC) is an annual gathering of Geodetic Engineering students and professionals in the country. This conference serves as an avenue primarily for Geodetic Engineering students to know more of their future career through talks and demonstrations from different companies and research organizations....

Xy Aldrae Murillo   “ Treasure of the Rice Terraces” might just have been one of the great gateways for Filipinos to delve into the depths of the country’s kept traditions through the 106-year-old Indigenous tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od, who starred in the said documentary about local tattooing culture.  Photo Courtesy by Treasure Of The Rice Terraces/YouTube The documentary, directed by Filipino-Canadian Kent Donguines, has released a five-minute trailer that encompasses the director’s continuous connection with the Philippines and its culture, along with Whang-Od herself as the prominent name and face of their heritage when it comes to tattoo culture.  “As a first-generation Filipino-Canadian, I understand the importance of identity and belonging, and the desire to reconnect with one’s roots. Growing up, tattoos were discouraged in my family, but as I became independent, I found a love for the art form and discovered deeper personal meaning behind each tattoo. I now ...

Engineers in general are the backbone of nation building and Industrial Engineers in the industry and society always seek for continuous improvement. With this, University of the Philippines Los Baños Industrial Engineering Students’ Organization (UPLB IESO) proudly present the 14th installation of Southern Tagalog Industrial Engineering Seminar (STIES) with the theme “AWAKEN: Breaking Engineering Boundaries Towards A Progressive Nation Building.” STIES is a national Industrial Engineering event that aims to upskill the knowledge and aptitude of IE students and professionals by immersing them in emerging IE trends and methodologies in a variety of industry fields. The organization invited professionals, companies, and reputable speakers to share their knowledge and firsthand experiences.  This year’s STIES goes beyond its limit by allowing participants to open their eyes to the possibilities and opportunities that industrial engineering can bring in the field of nation building whi...

 Nadine Rebekah Angelique Fandialan Above all the lessons taught from the beginning of time — down from the age of stone to the age of technology — there is one that simply remains a mystery… Perfection is something that all humans strive to reach; It is the quality of being the best, reaching a point of satisfaction, and being the enemy of irregularity. And yet, somehow, it will always be the most impossible to achieve.  Humans make several attempts to attain perfection: they teach their children how to do it, they build schools that would preach it, and they create computers that will hopefully achieve it so that learners of the new generation can lavish life sans mystery. There may be no perfect human, but can there be a perfect machinery to achieve such perfection? In the digital age, the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is inevitable. A kind of technology capable of learning and following instructions, with the power to create unambiguous production of ideas. Thi...

Norielle Pastor The Philippines made a statement in the AFC Women's Olympic Football Qualifying Round after drubbing Hong Kong, 4-0, to book a second round ticket in their last Group E match Tuesday, April 11, at Hisor Central Stadium.  Photo Courtesy of Rappler A hot start from Sarina Bolden in the first half ignited the team scoring two goals while Merryl Serrano and Quinley Quezada chipped a goal of their own respectively to cap off an unblemished 3-0 record in the first round.  Coming to the Hong Kong game, the Filipinas also annihilated Pakistan, 4-0, and 8-0 against Tajikistan. The Philippine Women's National Football Team (PWNFT) made quick work in the Group E finishing off with 16 goals in total without giving up any goal.   Bolden's first goal came up early at 5' finishing up a fine assist from the half-line from Katrina Guillou.  Sarina once again found the back of the net in 44' with a help from Sara Eggesvik in the corner to make it 2-nil for the Sta...

Denzel Jed Gaddi The Philippine Women’s Football Team asserted yet again their offensive barrage after a clean wipeout of Tajikistan, 8-0, in the 2024 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Saturday. Photo Courtesy of The Philippine Football Federation It was an all-around bloodbath for Filipinas with seven players chipping in a goal which in their last game, restrained Pakistan to zero points. The Philippine-based strikers found their first peek of the post at the 27-minute mark as Sofia Harisson rocketed in a Carleigh Frilles flick. They continued asserting their opponent's gloomy shade a few minutes later thanks to Tahna Annis’ goal off a rebound.   Frilles, Quenly Quezada, and Meryll Serano all scored before the horn to drown the FIFA 114-ranked Tajikistan in a maze of lockdown defense and fluid offensive attacks. With three minutes added to the first half, Maya Alcantara converted a rebound to a goal and extended the Filipinas' lead to 6-0, stamping their dominance in...

Crisdenmar Dela Cruz A new generation of Filipino boxers is on the rise. Fresh from a tough 2022 with no Filipino world title holder, Marlon "Nightmare" Tapales pulled off a shocker at Boeing Center at Tech Port, San Antonio, Texas, after dethroning the undefeated Murodjon Akhmadaliev to nab the IBF and WBA Super bantamweight title, Sunday. Photo Courtesy of Bad Left Hook Faced with a heavy underdog and the crowd was in Akhmadaliev's favor, the fighting proud of Cagayan De Oro, Philippines, boxed his way to victory by connecting an early combination to the head and body of his superstar Uzbekistani opponent, who struggled to find his rhythm, that convinced the judges, awarding a 115-113, 115-113, 110-118 triumph. With this win, the Philippines now bears two major title holders as Melvin Jerusalem grabbed the WBO minimumweight belt and gave Philippine boxing a rousing start to the year with an impressive second-round knockout over Masataka Taniguchi of Japan last January. ...

Cartoon by Alex Macatuno

 Gianela Zapata and Rinoa dela Cruz  After a three-year-long hiatus due to the pandemic, the Teatro Obrero lit up the Navoteño stage again with Senakulo in a musical twist last April 1.  File Photo Entitled “Ang Dakilang Hinirang,” the show catered to approximately 700 audience members who watched a modern play about the Passion of the Christ within the grounds of San Jose de Navotas.  John Christian Rose, one of the stage managers, proudly shared that this year’s Lenten special enlightened the audience and entertained them while featuring the theatrical group's wide range of talents. "Naniniwala kami na sa talento ng pag arte ay makapagbibigay kami ng magandang impact sa mga manonood na nawawalan na ng pag-asa, at nag-iiba na ang landas sa buhay," he said.  After almost a month of preparation, starting on February 28, Rose further shared that the production crew has been anxious about gathering their cast due to most students' schedules in Navotas. Still, the t...

  Cartoon by Maurice Gimena

Rob Andrew Dongiapon Filipino women once more.  RP Blu Girls is back on the world stage, securing a seat in the upcoming 2024 Women’s Softball World Cup after finishing in the top four of the Asia Cup in Incheon, South Korea.  Photo Courtesy of Tiebreaker Times The Blu Girls salvaged a 10-0 rout of India last Thursday in only four innings to give the Philippines its fifth win of the continental tilt, good enough for a World Cup ticket.  Despite bowing out to defending champion Japan in the final game of the preliminaries, the Philippines’ 5-3 record remains one game above hosts South Korea, who wrapped up the tourney at 4-4 and missed the World Cup entry.  Blu Girls, then, failed to capture a podium finish, yielding to Chinese Taipei, 5-10, in the battle for bronze two days later.  Even then, the Philippines took the wildcard berth for fourth-placers given to Asia as they rounded up the Asian cast of the World Cup alongside Chinese Taipei, Japan, and China....

Anne Clariene Caburnay The observance of Women’s Month is a venue to highlight every woman’s achievement and to express support and recognition for their crafts in different industries such as politics, acting, business, music, and more. The music industry, particularly in the Philippines, is known to be a female-dominated field. Our country’s Filipina Artist Lineup consists of multi-awarded singers recognized not just locally, but also abroad, such as Regine Velasquez, KZ Tandingan, and many more. Photo Courtesy by Girlsclub Asia/Shanne Dandan/Facebook/Bandwagon In the depths of the internet, particularly YouTube and Spotify, there are some hidden gems, gatekept and underrated Outstanding Pinay Musicians. Clara Benin Clara is not unfamiliar with the OPM Industry as she is the daughter of Side A’s bassist Joey Benin. With over 80,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel and millions of streams on Spotify, Clara’s soft and relaxing voice will make you want to climb up to your house’s roof...