5th YAMAN Philippines Congress Held in Baguio on November 20-22, 2019

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We did a great tour from Manila to Baguio last November 20-22, 2019 together with different students from different Universities/Colleges all over the country. YAMAN stands for Philippine Youth Association for Responsible Mining and Natural Resources.

During our 1st day, we did tree planing in Luneta Park around 6am. And did Interview with Julius, one of the participant. A 5th Year Mining student from Surigao. After planted 50 trees in Luneta around 6am and then we proceeded to Baguio.

By 2pm we arrived in Camp John Hay Trade and Cultural Center in Baguio City to witness the 66th Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference (ANMSEC). I saw several Mining equipment including the drones that cost around 2.5m to 4.5 million peso used for survey and mapping.

As well as hi tech industrial equipment used to build great home and cities. Imagine those finest Jewelry, great house, buildings and roads which cannot be completed without the involvement of the mining industry.

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The next day is we did the early morning sports fest in Baguio Athletic Bowl. They called it Palarong Minero. A team building kind of games to different students that involves critical thinking and teamwork to every students members involve.

Then proceeded back to City Travel Hotel fro Breakfast and the most important part of the tour. Which is the YAMAN Luncheon Forum in which they invited the expert speakers to share their knowledge to these future mining professionals.

 

Atty Fernando Penarroyo - Speaker 5th Yaman PH Congress talks about his expertise titled - The new face of mining and latest tech trend when in come to mining. Followed by Arturo Manto who talks about Mining Mineral Processing and the Environment topic.

And last is with Lira Poralan - speaks about mining communication issues on how to deal with and communicate with the mining professionals, government and people.

Then a Pageant at Night, See more video and pic here of Manuel Flores. As pro-active students under the programs of Geology, Mining Engineering, and other related courses from different schools in the Philippines. To serve as a role model Ambassadors of YAMAN Ph.

As they promote and advocate responsible mining and environmental awareness among the youth and fellow students. So more and more people can see its significance. It was a good experience to have this kind of educational tour. As you aligned your mind with the help of fellow and industry experts.

And on our last day we marched together with the Professionals from different mining companies. From SM City Baguio to Burnham Park Grandstand as the Minerals Industry Parade showcased its vision to the public.

We did then proceed to Mines View then back to Manila with great Karaoke sing along inside the bus. It feels good to be a student again, hanging with these young at heart energetic and bright fellow after I got my Bachelors degree way back 2005.

All I can say is I would encourage students to Participate on this annual activity. You would enjoy it, aside from preparing yourself to explore the gold mine of this professional industry.

Come and witness how cool to be part of this congress! See you next year! Visit @yamanph on twitter, instagram and facebook. Also see more videos interviews and pics here facebook.com/wazzuppilipinas

National Government Agencies Collaborate for Responsible Use of Water Campaign

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Kung mayroong isang nagpabaya, maraming maaapektuhan. Kung mayroong isang nagmamalasakit, maraming makikinabang."

MMDA, in partnership with Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), in cooperation with Maynilad and Manila Water, will come together today to launch Oplan Tubig Para sa Kinabukasan. Makibalita, Maghanda, Magkaisa.

This is a campaign for the responsible use of water that aims to enjoin Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan residents to use water responsibly, rain or shine. It seems to encourage everyone to be informed of the current water situation; to be prepared at all times in cases of water shortage and to be involved in a greater cause of using water conscientiously.

Main personalities present at the Oplan Tubig Para Sa Kinabukasan press launch were NWRB Exec. Dir. Dr. Sevillo David, Jr., MMDA Chairman Gen. Danilo Lim, and Mr. Ronald Abrigo representing MWSS Administrator Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Salamat.

Also present, but did not join the panel interview, were Manila Water Pres. & CEO Rene Almendras, and Maynilad Pres. & CEO Ramoncito Fernandez, 

I have videos of MMDA Chairman Gen. Danilo Lim encouraging people to save on water thru proper use, and an exclusive interview with NWRB Exec. Dir. Dr. Sevillo David, Jr.,

The question I asked with regards to their statement of using deep wells as merely a back-up supply for water needs:

Why not make deep wells the primary source of water for households, at least for usage like watering the plants, cleaning the yard, to flush the toilet, etc., that does not need purely clean water, and if there are concerns for hygience or thorough cleanliness, why not setup filtration systems so that water will be clean for usage.

Manila Water and Maynilad provisions could just be used for showering, washing plates, and others that require cleaner water. 

At home we don't drink water from the faucet but we buy from refilling stations where water is either distilled or purified or both.

They could also identify spots at local barangays to construct deep wells. This will reduce water consumption from the two main water providers.

However, the NWRB representative said that, as per study, there would be certain dangers on the geology - under the ground or soil conditions that could eventually endanger lives if everyone will be setting up deep wells.

Which makes me wonder why, at our own home in Metro Manila and in the province, we are able to use deep wells for several years already, 40 years or more, but we never noticed or felt any disturbance or changes on our property that could be seen as alarming or threatening.

If there is indeed a study narrating impending danger, where is it? Where can we find it? I'm sure finding a way to prevent whatever danger is better than asking every household to limit their water usage. How many years more before we experience the supposedly negative effect of using deep well at our home?

It is already a given that we save on water because we will pay more if we don't. So this campaign is merely reminding us of something we are already doing. Well, at least in our home. But I'm sure everyone is conscious of this water saving. 

So I'm curious of what is really the motive behind this campaign? Are we in for another water shortage soon?  Will the water level at Angat Dam be soon not enough to provide for the mentioned areas Metro Manila and neighboring Rizal, Bulacan, etc? Thus, the effort to launch a campaign like this?

They are having a 1 Liter Water Challenge with their hashtag #1LTubigChallenge which was meant to have you use only 1 Liter of water to do several tasks. Still, this aims to lessen our water consumption...so maybe there is really an impending danger of water shortage because the two water providers, as a business, will prefer us to use more so they will earn and profit more. Yet, they are in partnership or full support of this campaign.

What gives? Part of their CSR program? Maybe?

Here is the official press release from the event:

National Government Agencies Collaborate for Responsible Use of Water Campaign

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), in partnership with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, National Water Resources Board, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), have come together last November 29, 2019 to launch “Oplan Tubig Para sa Kinabukasan”- a responsible use of water campaign that aims to enjoin Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan residents to use water responsibly, rain or shine.

“Oplan Tubig Para sa Kinabukasan” seeks to encourage everyone to be informed of the current water situation; to be prepared at all times in cases of water shortage and to be involved in a greater cause of using water conscientiously.

“We all need water to live and we can all do something to ensure that we continuously enjoy this precious resource even in our own little ways,''said MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim.

Under this initiative, several call-to-action videos and art cards featuring Metro Manila, Cavite and Rizal mayors and governors will be developed and shared on social media with the intent to reach and create a bigger impact not only to those living in Metro Manila, but to Filipinos in general.

“There is clearly a need for us to work together in this campaign especially with our current water situation. We need to reach as many Filipinos as we can and educate them on how we can help from the demand side,” Chairman Lim added.

According to NWRB Executive Director, Dr. Sevillo David, there are more than 15 million people who are getting water from Angat Dam, and this number continues to grow each year.

MWSS Administrator, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Salamat encourages everyone to be responsible in using water and to prepare especially for the dry season. “We have limited water supply and it will take years for us to have new water sources,” he said.

With DILG’s participation in the campaign, “Oplan Tubig Para sa Kinabukasan” is hopeful to get its message across cities and municipalities.

“We hope that with this campaign, individuals and communities will be inspired and encouraged to use water responsibly and to abide by the water-related initiatives set by their respective LGUs,” said DILG Sec. Eduardo Año.

For more information on the campaign, visit its official Facebook Page: Oplan Tubig Para Sa Kinabukasan:

www.fb.com/oplantubig

#OplanTubigParaSaKinabukasan

#WazzupPilipinas

#PambansangBlogger

Film Industry Icons to Grace 37th FAP Luna Awards Night

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Award-winning producers, directors, actors, cinematographers, screenwriters, editors, sound designers, musical scorers, and production designers will come together to celebrate the greatness of their peers in Philippine Cinema at the 37th Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) Luna Awards Night on Saturday, November 30, at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Leading the pack of Filipino film icons are Special Awardees Lily Monteverde and Nova Villa, who will receive the Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ) Memorial Award and Manuel de Leon Award for Exemplary Achievement, respectively.

Nominee and Special Awardee Nova Villa at the FAP Luna Awards Nominees' Night

Adding star power to the Awards Night are the impressive nominees as well as the iconic presenters, who will grace the stage and award the coveted Luna trophies, such as FAP Luna Awards Hall of Famer Joel Lamangan, Jose Javier Reyes, Bembol Roco, Ricky Davao, Cherie Gil, Snooky Serna, Liza Lorena, Yayo Aguila, Tommy Abuel, Raymond Bagatsing, Raquel Villavicencio, Roy Iglesias, Romy Vitug, Lee Briones-Meily, Marissa Floirendo, Edgar Martin Littaua, Manet Dayrit, Jess Navarro, Jesse Lucas, and Ditoy Aguila. Recipients of the citation "Sine Sandaan Luminaries: Production Companies of the Philippines" will also be in attendance, and representatives of the late Wenn Deramas and Soxie Topacio will receive the Lamberto Avellana Memorial Award, which will be bestowed on the directors posthumously.

Cinematographer Romy Vitug

As for the master of ceremonies, a renowned actor, comedian, host, and impersonator will take on the role singlehandedly with much gusto. He is none other than Jon Santos, who is sure to keep the Awards Ceremony entertaining and exhilarating. In addition, noteworthy performers are set to take the stage during the production numbers of the Awards Ceremony. These are The Company, Frenchie Dy, Gian Magdangal, Sheila Valderrama-Martinez, Lara Maigue, and the Dance Royalties choreographed by Dan Cabrera. Among the most-awaited numbers are the Musical Tribute to FAP Luna Awards Hall of Famers Willy Cruz and George Canseco, and the Sine Sandaan segment on the ongoing year-long celebration of the One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema. The FAP Luna Awards Night will be masterfully staged under the direction of singer-songwriter Ice Seguerra.

Actor-comedian Jon Santos will host the 37th Luna Awards (Photo from his Facebook page)

From the announcement of the official list of nominees on November 12, to the well-attended Nominees’ Night on November 20, all eyes are on how the Awards Night will unfold on November 30. Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño gave a sneak peek into the theme of the 37th FAP Luna Awards. "This year's Luna Awards is going to be very distinctive because it is going to be anchored on another meaning of what Luna represents. This year, we explore Luna as the moon, as beautiful as it is with its different phases—much like the Philippine film industry. And as we celebrate our hundred years, we embrace these many phases while at the same time look forward to a new future—a full moon. Bright, complete, and illuminating of what’s ahead,” she shared.

The Company will serenade at the 37th Luna Awards (Photo from their Instagram account)

Diño went on to give a background on how FDCP got involved in this year’s organization of the FAP Luna Awards. The FAP, headed by Director-General Vivian Velez, is one of the Board of Trustees of FDCP. “For the last three years, and even before my time, FDCP has already been giving financial support to FAP for the conduct of the Luna Awards. But when I came in, talaga pong si Sir Leo Martinez, the former Director-General that time, and I have been working closely together in support of his initiatives. One of the things na pinag-usapan namin ay ang kagustuhan niyang ibalik muli ang ningning, ang kinang, ang prestige ng Luna Awards para po sa ating industriya because Luna Awards is a peer awards,” detailed Diño.

The FAP Luna Awards is regarded as the award-giving body that is “by and for the peers in the industry.” The choices of the Voters from the Electoral College are highly anticipated because the Voters are all former winners or nominees of the FAP Luna Awards or other prestigious award-giving bodies. Through the voting process and conduct of events, FAP and FDCP ensure that this year’s FAP Luna Awards will continue the tradition of giving recognition to the outstanding artistic accomplishments and technical achievements in Philippine Cinema.

The 37th FAP Luna Awards will kick off with the Red Carpet Ceremonies, followed by the Cocktail Reception and Awards Ceremony. The Red Carpet and Awards Ceremony will be shown via livestream on the Facebook page of FDCP (Film Development Council of the Philippines).

Estonia A-List Film Fest Screens 5 PH Films, 'KALEL, 15' Gets World Premiere

Wazzup Pilipinas!






Jun Robles Lana’s latest film “KALEL, 15” will have its World Premiere under the Official Selection programme of the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival on November 29, 2019 in Tallinn, Estonia. It is the only Filipino film in the official competition, and it will be up against 20 films from all over the world.

“KALEL, 15” tells the story of a teenager who is the son of a priest and is HIV positive, and how he has to make choices no child should ever have to make. It stars the late Eddie Garcia, Jaclyn Jose, Elijah Canlas, Elora Espano, and Gabby Padilla, and was co-produced by The IdeaFirst Company, Octobertrain Films, and Cignal Entertainment.

TheIdeaFirst Company co-president and director-producer Perci Intalan is looking forward to showcasing their film in Northern Europe for the first time. He shared, “We’re very excited about the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival because this is the world premiere of ‘KALEL, 15.’ We chose to premiere here because this is Jun’s first film in this festival. We feel the audience and market in Tallinn would be right for our film.”

He expressed that their team is lucky because their producing partners at Cignal Entertainment understood the importance of the world premiere status and knew the significance of having a good festival strategy. “Like for most films, it’s always tricky because you submit the film and hope it will be shortlisted, but at the same time, you have to decide carefully to whom you will give your world or international premiere.”

Last September, director Jun Robles Lana shared a still from the film on Twitter. “This is the realization of a passion project almost 5 years in the making from the time I pitched it at the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum. Looking forward to our world premiere soon.”

Prior to having its world premiere in Tallin, the drama film participated in various events until it finally took shape to the film that it is now. Director Intalan said, “’KALEL, 15’ is a film that has been in development since 2014. It was part of the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum in 2014 under the title ‘Our Father’ and again in 2019 (in the Work-In-Progress Lab) under the title ‘Son of God.’”

Representatives from “KALEL, 15” will be attending the Tallin Film Festival. According to Director Intalan, the team hopes to apply for travel assistance from the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the country’s national film agency. “Since we’re in the main competition and the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival is one of the few festivals where the main competition offers a wide range of awards that include Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography, traveling to Tallinn are our director Jun Robles Lana, our producer Ferdinand Lapuz, our cinematographer Carlo Mendoza, and our lead actor Elijah Canlas (who will be participating in an international film festival for the first time).”

Director Intalan also noted, “Jun has premiered films in Tokyo (‘Die Beautiful’ and ‘Barber’s Tales’) and in Karlovy Vary (‘Shadow Behind the Moon.’)” Director Lana’s previous films "Shadow Behind The Moon," “Die Beautiful,” and “Barber’s Tales” brought home awards at various film festivals, including the 13th Pacific Meridian Film Festival, 20th International Film Festival of Kerala, and 29th Tokyo International Film Festival, among others.

“KALEL, 15”’s world premiere screening will be followed by a Q and A session with Jun Robles Lana, Elijah Canlas, Carlo Mendoza, and Ferdinand Lapuz.

Other Filipino Films Participating in the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

Aside from “KALEL, 15,” four other Filipino films are part of the lineups in Tallin Film Festival.

“KALEL, 15”’s world premiere screening will be followed by a Q and A session with Jun Robles Lana, Elijah Canlas, Carlo Mendoza, and Ferdinand Lapuz.

Other Filipino Films Participating in the 23rd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

Aside from “KALEL, 15,” four other Filipino films are part of the lineups in Tallin Film Festival.

Photo from the Tallin Black Nights Film Festival website

Cinemalaya 2019 Best Film “John Denver Trending” by Arden Rod Condez is the only Asian film in competition under its category and is set to have its European premiere under the Just Film Youth Competition programme, Tallin Film Fest’s biggest sub-festival. The Quantum Films-produced film stars newcomer Jansen Magpusao and Meryll Soriano.

On the other hand, “Mindanao” by Brillante Mendoza, which had its European premiere at Tallinn Film Festival last November 15, is part of the Signature section. The film was produced by Center Stage Productions, and it features Judy Ann Santos and Allen Dizon. It was also part of the programmes in the Busan International Film Festival, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, Kolkata International Film Festival, and Cairo International Film Festival.

Photo from the Tallin Black Nights Film Festival website

Meanwhile, after competing at the 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival, Paul Soriano’s “Mañanita” had its European premiere under the Rebels with a Cause Competition programme at Tallinn Film Festival last November 25. The film was written by celebrated filmmaker Lav Diaz and produced by Ten17P, and stars Bela Padilla and Ronnie Lazaro. Filipino audiences can anticipate for the film’s scheduled wide release in Philippine cinemas on December 4.

Completing the Filipino entries for Tallinn Film Festival is “Verdict,” Raymund Ribay Gutierrez’s feature debut which was produced by award-winning filmmaker Brillante Mendoza. It screened under the Festival’s Current Waves programme last November 16. The film features Max Eigenmann, the late Kristoffer King, Lourdes Javelosa-Indunan, Vincent Aureus, Jorden Suan, and Rene Durian, and was produced by Center Stage Productions and Films Boutique. It was also shown in Philippine cinemas last September during the third Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP).

The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival is the only competitive feature film festival in Northern Europe with the accreditation of International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), making it the only A-film festival in Northern Europe which shares the status with the world’s leading festivals, such as Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Karlovy Vary, Warsaw, and San Sebastian.

On the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival website, Festival Director Tiina Lokk said that the Festival aims “to find talented and strong films from amongst the whole world’s film production, to discover new films and filmmakers, and to promote smaller filmmaking countries that simply cannot otherwise get their foot in beside the renowned countries.”

The 23rd Black Nights Film Festival runs from November 15 to December 1, 2019 in Estonian cities of Tallinn and Tartu.

How to Write Better and Create SEO Friendly Content Too

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Writing the SEO friendly content is definitely not an easy job. Cheapcustompapers gives you more tips and tricks to improve your SEO based content writing.

1. Use headings and subtitles

The use of headlines and subtitles is important for SEO for several reasons.

First, you can quickly look through the text. So it's easier to read. People are more willing to share easy-to-read content.

The same is true for search engine robots. When walking on the page, they recognize the headers and use them to better understand the content, e.g. assess which parts are most important, etc.

Also, headers and subtitles help even saturate the page with keywords. However, remember not to abuse this option.

2. Add links to existing content

One of the ways search engine positioning is to evaluate the number of backlinks a site has.

Good content usually has a lot of backlinks - both external and internal.

If you want to direct traffic to your site and position older content better, be sure to link them in new posts.

This will help search engine robots - and users - find your best articles.

Besides, linking to high-quality good sites has a positive effect on your site's position. The better the links, the higher your position in search results.

Also, the use of reliable sources to create content inspires the trust of recipients.

3. Optimize the length of the content

Once, most blog posts had up to several hundred words. It was about numbers - the more published posts, the more traffic to the site.

It rarely happens today. Even on the GetResponse blog, you are reading, you will usually find articles with a length of 1500 words and more, published less frequently.

This is because in the last few years Google has started to give greater priority to longer, higher quality content. He wants to provide the most accurate answers possible. It often boils down to the fact that the posts are to contain the most detailed answers to questions asked by users.

It is no longer enough to write an article for 300 words. However, it is not about blurring the subject of the texts too much.

Take a look at Google Analytics reports and see which content generates the most engagement. Which are the most visited and which users read the longest? Analyze what content has the highest conversion, e.g. newsletter subscription.

And then use this information to determine the best approach that works for your industry.

4. Choose your keywords wisely

Some marketers like to just sit down and start writing. They leave SEO optimization at the end.

Others start by writing down the keywords they intend to use in the content.

I prefer the second approach.

You start by defining keywords that are relevant to the topic you're working on. You are looking for them in your head, you use a keyword planning tool available on Google or a more advanced solution like Ahrefs or SERPSTAT. Or you rent an SEO agency that will take care of everything on your behalf.

And when you start writing, use keywords in the title, header, meta descriptions, ALT tags, and the main content.

5. Optimize graphics

If you want the content to be interesting and shared, you'll need graphics. People are much more eager to buy from companies whose websites contain attractive and matching photos.

You can optimize your photos by adding keywords to image file names and creating ALT tags.

Also, make sure you optimize the image size. Too large photos will take longer to load, and this will have a bad effect on SEO.

The images should be as small as possible, but still clearly visible and of good quality. In many photo editors, you can use the built-in tools to optimize them. If you do not have such a program, Squoosh will be an alternative, a free tool with which you can resize images and compress them quickly.

6. Enable content sharing

You've managed to prepare an SEO friendly, content-rich and interesting article that readers read with pleasure. The next step is to make it available. Sites such as ShareThis or AddThis allow you to easily put social buttons on the page so that users can easily share content.

7. Create high-quality content

This should be an obvious matter, but it is not always remembered. The best way to encourage users to read and get involved is to create useful and fun content. Search engines appreciate sites with high-quality content on the right topic. Quality matters more than any other factor.

Once you have a good idea of how to write and format content, consider using one of the tools below to simplify the texts and streamline the process of creating them.

Pinoy-made Ocean Waste Collector and Dengue Mapper to Join the NASA Global Hackathon

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A deployable, autonomous ocean waste collection system utilizing space data to locate nearby garbage patches built by students from De La Salle University and an automated information portal which correlates dengue cases with real-time data from satellite, climate, and search engines won the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's International Space Apps Challenge last October 18-20, 2019 in Manila, in collaboration with the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCIEERD), Animo Labs technology business incubator, PLDT InnoLab, American Corner Manila, the U.S. government, and part of the Design Week Philippines with Department of Trade and Industry-Design Center of the Philippines.

Upper row Associate American Corner librarian Donna Lyn G. Labangon, Space Apps leader Dr. Paula S. Bontempi, former DICT Usec. Monchito B. Ibrahim, Animo Labs executive director Mr. Federico C. Gonzalez, DOST-PCIEERD deputy executive director Engr. Raul C. Sabularse, PLDT Enterprise Core Business Solutions vice president and head Joseph Ian G. Gendrano, lead organizer Michael Lance M. Domagas, and Animo Labs program manager Junnell E. Guia. Lower row Janos Lance L. Tiberio, Samantha Maxine Santos, Grant Lewis Bulaong, and Antonio Miguel S. Alejo of Ocean's 4 who developed PaWiKAN.

Using NASA's Ocean Surface Current Analysis Real-time (OSCAR) data to determine possible locations of ocean garbage patches using GPS, PaWiKAN uses a pair of deployable, dynamically reconfigurable boats capable of trapping and returning ocean waste back to ground. It is equipped with extended-range radio system based on LoRa technology and Arduino to communicate with sensors and controlled by a deployment station. It was developed by Lasallian electronics and communications engineering students Samantha Maxine Santos, Antonio Miguel S. Alejo, Grant Lewis Bulaong, and Janos Lance L. Tiberio of Ocean's 4, who also joined the last year's hackathon, creating a hyper-casual puzzle game utilizing images from the Hubble Space Telescope and intuitive physics concepts.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCuPRzuEhdI



"Our global bodies of water are actually littered with plastics. This is a very futuristic solution to help get rid of plastics currently floating or submerged in global waters. It is timely and relevant solution," according to Monchito B. Ibrahim, Industry Development Committee Chairman of the Analytics Association of the Philippines and former undersecretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

Upper row Associate American Corner librarian Donna Lyn G. Labangon, Space Apps leader Dr. Paula S. Bontempi, former DICT Usec. Monchito B. Ibrahim, Animo Labs executive director Mr. Federico C. Gonzalez, DOST-PCIEERD deputy executive director Engr. Raul C. Sabularse, PLDT Enterprise Core Business Solutions vice president and head Joseph Ian G. Gendrano, lead organizer Michael Lance M. Domagas, and Animo Labs program manager Junnell E. Guia. Lower row Dominic Vincent D. Ligot, Frances Claire Tayco, Mark Toledo, and Jansen Dumaliang Lopez of Aedes project.

With 271,480 dengue cases resulting in 1,107 deaths as reported from January 1 to August 31, 2019 by the World Health Organization, the Aedes Project team composed of Dominic Vincent D. Ligot, Mark Toledo, Frances Claire Tayco, and Jansen Dumaliang Lopez developed a forecasting model of dengue cases using climate and digital data and pinpointing possible hotspots from satellite data. Correlating information from Sentinel-2 Copernicus and Landsat 8 satellites, DOST-PAGASA for climate, and trends from search engines, potential dengue hotspots will be displayed in a web interface. Indices like Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) are used in identifying areas with green vegetation while Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) to identify areas with water. Combining these indices reveal potential areas of stagnant water capable of being breeding grounds of mosquitoes.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzpI775XoY0



"It benefits the community especially those countries suffering from malaria and dengue, just like the Philippines. I think it has a global impact. This is the new science to know the potential areas where dengue might occur. It is a good app," said Engr. Raul C. Sabularse, deputy executive director of DOST-PCIEERD.


"It is very relevant to the Philippines and other countries which usually having problems with dengue. The team was able to show that it's not really difficult to have all the data you need and integrate all of them and make them accessible to everyone for them to be able to use it. It's a working model. It is something can actually be made usable in a short span of six months," Mr. Ibrahim said.

Biological oceanographer Dr. Paula S. Bontempi, acting deputy director of the Earth Science Mission, NASA's Science Mission Directorate and the current leader of the Space Apps global organizing team.

Space Apps leader Dr. Paula S. Bontempi, the acting deputy director of the Earth Science Mission, NASA's Science Mission Directorate was impressed of these solutions presented in Manila, "The top two are really good. There were definitely a few projects right behind them. There is a lot of good talent out there. It was nice to see."


Rex Lor from United Nations Development Programme in the Philippines commended the use of the Sustainable Development Goals on Good Health and Well-Being, and Life Below Water of the winning solutions showcasing the "pivotal role of cutting-edge digital technologies in the creation of strategies for sustainable development in the face of evolving development issues."


Both champions will join teams around the world to be evaluated by NASA to approximately select the top 30 projects as global finalists in early December, and the top six winners will be announced in January 2020. Winners shall be invited to visit the NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at Florida in 2020.


Last year, team iNON used a citizen science platform by NASA to develop an application seeking to communicate scientific data to fishermen even without Internet connection, which led them to victory as the first Pinoy global winner. Their project called ISDApp is currently being incubated by Animo Labs.

Pinoy hackers going deep into addressing real-world problems on Earth and space.

University president Br. Raymundo B. Suplido FSC hopes that NASA Space Apps would "encourage our young Filipino researchers and scientists to create ideas and startups based on space science and technology, and pave the way for the promotion and awareness of the programs of our own Philippine space agency."


Vice President Leni Robredo recognized Space Apps as a platform "where some of our country's brightest minds can collaborate in finding and creating solutions to our most pressing problems, not just in space, but more importantly here on Earth."


"Space Apps is a community of scientists and engineers, artists and hackers coming together to address key issues here on Earth. At the heart of Space Apps are data that come to us from spacecraft flying around Earth and are looking at our world," as explained by Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for science.


#SpaceApps #SpaceAppsPH

37th Luna Awards to Hail the Best of PH Cinema and Laud Sine Sandaan Luminaries

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The 37th Luna Awards, with its Awards Ceremony took place on November 30, Saturday, was unique in several ways. Firstly, the Luna Awards 2019 is a special edition because it takes place during the year-long celebration of the centenary of Philippine Cinema. The Luna Awards Night will feature a special segment on the One Hundred Years of Philippine Cinema to continue and propagate its commemoration that was mandated in Presidential Proclamation No. 622, Series of 2018, which declared September 12, 2019 to September 11, 2020 as the official celebration of the Philippine Cinema Centennial.

Secondly, two types of trophies will be given at the Luna Awards this year. The Luna Awards trophy will be awarded to the film professionals who have done exemplary artistic achievements within the eligibility period from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. The respective industry peers of the nominees voted on 12 categories. Of the 16 films nominated this year, four have garnered the most nominations: “Signal Rock” by Chito Roño and “Liway” by Kip Oebanda with nine nominations each, and “Buy Bust” by Erik Matti and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral” by Jerrold Tarog with eight nods apiece. The Special Awards recipients are Regal Films matriarch Lily Monteverde for the Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ) Lifetime Achievement Award and Best Supporting Actress Nominee Nova Villa for the Manuel de Leon Award for Exemplary Achievement. The posthumous Lamberto Avellana Memorial Award will be bestowed on directors Wenn Deramas and Soxie Topacio.

The second set of trophies that will be given, meanwhile, are the Sine Sandaan commemorative trophies. A special feature will be held to honor 30 film outfits as the Sine Sandaan: Production Companies of the Philippines Luminaries for their invaluable contributions to the Philippine film industry. Ten studios and 20 independent production companies will be hailed. These are Nepomuceno Productions, LVN Pictures, Inc., Sampaguita Pictures, Inc., Premiere Productions, Inc., Lebran Productions, Regal Entertainment, Inc., Seiko Films, Inc., Viva Entertainment, Inc., Star Cinema (ABS-CBN Films), GMA Films, FPJ Productions, Inc., AM Productions, NV Productions, LEA Productions, Inc., Reyna Films, Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Productions, Inc., RVQ Productions, Inc., J.E. Production, Quantum Films, APT Entertainment, Inc., Unitel Productions, Inc., OctoArts Films International, M-ZET Productions, Inc., Spring Films, TBA Studios, The IdeaFirst Company, Reality Entertainment, Center Stage Productions, Inc., Ten17P Productions, and Imus Productions, Inc.

Thirdly, the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) and Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) have joined forces for the first time to hold the Luna Awards. In previous years, FDCP has provided support to FAP, but this is the first time that FDCP has stepped up to become a co-organizer together with FAP. Happening at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, the 37th Luna Awards promises to be a star-studded event, with the attendance of veterans, icons, and celebrities to be led by FAP Director-General Vivian Velez and FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

The Luna Awards Night is set to be a Philippine Cinema extravaganza with musical performances and production numbers that are sure to light up the stage, including a Tribute to Willy Cruz and George Canseco, who are both Luna Awards Hall of Fame inductees. The awards show spectacle will surely dazzle with its guests, performers, presenters, nominees, and awardees. The Luna Awards Night is under the direction of singer-songwriter Ice Seguerra.

Ten days prior to the Luna Awards Night, the FAP and FDCP held a Nominees' Night on November 20 at Delgado.112 restaurant along Scout Delgado Street in the Tomas Morato area of Quezon City. The Nominees' Night introduced the nominees to the members of the press, celebrated the nominees’ notable works, and fostered better camaraderie in the entertainment industry.

The 37th Luna Awards on November 30 is a strictly invitational Black Tie Optional affair. The Red Carpet Ceremonies will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Cocktail Reception at 6 p.m., and the Awards Ceremony promptly starting at 8 p.m. The Red Carpet and Awards Ceremony will be shown via livestream on the FDCP Facebook page (with the username Film Development Council of the Philippines).


The official list of nominees and Special Awardees of the 37th Luna Awards:

BEST MOTION PICTURE

Liway (Exquisite Aspect Ventures, VY/AC Productions, and Cinemalaya)

Buy Bust (Viva Films and Reality Entertainment)

Signal Rock (CSR Productions)

Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (TBA Studios and Globe Studios)

Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus (Epicmedia Productions, CineFilipino, Unitel, and Cignal Entertainment)



BEST DIRECTOR

Chito Roño (Signal Rock)

Dwein Baltazar (Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus)

Erik Matti (Buy Bust)

Kip Oebanda (Liway)

Irene Villamor (Meet Me in St. Gallen)



BEST ACTOR

Eddie Garcia (Rainbow’s Sunset)

Christian Bables (Signal Rock)

Nicco Manalo (Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus)

Daniel Padilla (The Hows of Us)

Dingdong Dantes (Sid & Aya)



BEST ACTRESS

Angelica Panganiban (Exes Baggage)

Glaiza de Castro (Liway)

AiAi delas Alas (School Service)

Anne Curtis (Sid & Aya)

Agot Isidro (Changing Partners)



BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Arjo Atayde (Buy Bust)

Soliman Cruz (Liway)

Carlo Aquino (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Epy Quizon (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Mon Confiado (Signal Rock)



BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Aiko Melendez (Rainbow’s Sunset)

Daria Ramirez (Signal Rock)

Max Collins (Citizen Jake)

Nova Villa (Miss Granny)

Sunshine Dizon (Rainbow’s Sunset)



BEST SCREENPLAY

Carmi Raymundo, Gilliann Ebreo, Crystal San Miguel, and Cathy Garcia-Molina (The Hows of Us)

Rodolfo Vera (Signal Rock)

Rodolfo Vera and Jerrold Tarog (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Irene Villamor (Meet Me in St. Gallen)

Zig Dulay and Kip Oebanda (Liway)



BEST SOUND

Albert Michael Idioma and Alex Tomboc (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Albert Michael Idioma and Alex Tomboc (Signal Rock)

Whannie Dellosa and Steven Vesagas (Buy Bust)

Axel Fernandez (Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus)

Jason Conanan, Mikko Quizon, and Kat Salinas (Meet Me in St. Gallen)



BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Michael Español and Roma Regala (Buy Bust)

Aped Santos (Liway)

Mark Sabas (Signal Rock)

Roy Lachica (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Maolen Fadul (Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus)



BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Neil Derrick Bion (Buy Bust)

Neil Daza (Gusto Kita with All My Hypothalamus)

Pong Ignacio (Liway)

Neil Daza (Signal Rock)

Tey Clamor (Ang Babaeng Allergic sa WiFi)



BEST MUSICAL SCORE

Jerrold Tarog (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)

Malek Lopez and Erwin Romulo (Buy Bust)

Emerzon Texon (Meet Me in St. Gallen)

Nhick Ramiro Pacis (Liway)

Emerzon Texon (Ang Babaeng Allergic sa WiFi)



BEST EDITING

Jay Halili (Buy Bust)

Marya Ignacio and Beng Bandong (The Hows of Us)

Maynard Pattaui and Edlyn Tallada-Abuel (Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes)

Chuck Gutierrez (Liway)

Jerrold Tarog (Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral)





Special Awards



Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ) Lifetime Achievement Award

Ms. Lily Monteverde



Manuel de Leon Award for Exemplary Achievement

Ms. Nova Villa



Lamberto Avellana Memorial Award

Director Wenn Deramas

Director Soxie Topacio





Sine Sandaan: Production Companies of the Philippines Luminaries



Studios:

1. Nepomuceno Productions

2. LVN Pictures, Inc.

3. Sampaguita Pictures, Inc.

4. Premiere Productions, Inc.

5. Lebran Productions

6. Regal Entertainment, Inc.

7. Seiko Films, Inc.

8. Viva Entertainment, Inc.

9. Star Cinema (ABS-CBN Films)

10. GMA Films



Independent production companies:

1. FPJ Productions, Inc.

2. AM Productions

3. NV Productions

4. LEA Productions, Inc.

5. Reyna Films

6. Tagalog Ilang-Ilang Productions, Inc.

7. RVQ Productions, Inc.

8. J.E. Production

9. Quantum Films

10. APT Entertainment, Inc.

11. Unitel Productions, Inc.

12. OctoArts Films International

13. M-ZET Productions, Inc.

14. Spring Films

15. TBA Studios

16. The IdeaFirst Company

17. Reality Entertainment

18. Center Stage Productions, Inc.

19. Ten17P Productions

20. Imus Productions, Inc.