Tingin ASEAN Film Festival runs at Shang Cineplex from October 11 to 15

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Philippines’ membership to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the country's chairmanship of the ASEAN in 2017, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts will hold the Tingin ASEAN Film Festival (Southeast Asia through the Eyes of Cinema) at the Shang Cineplex, Shangri-la Plaza, Mandaluyong City from October 11 to 15. 

The film festival attempts to draw a composite picture of modern Southeast Asia by bringing together exemplary contemporary films from the ASEAN region. It also aims to hold up a mirror to our many struggles and triumphs as people living in the margins, left of center.

Tingin will screen notable ASEAN films like "A Yellow Bird" (Singapore), "Ilo Ilo" (Singapore), "Golden Slumbers" (Cambodia), "Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria" (Philippines), "Dearest Sister" (Lao PDR) and "Kayan Beauties" (Myanmar), among others. These films each tell a particular story about their origin countries and gathering them in the festival consequently hopes to map out the different facets of the region. 

Some of the directors of these award-winning films, such as K. Rajagopal (Singapore), Remton Siega Zuasola (Philippines), Mattie Do (Lao PDR) and Aung Ko Latt (Myanmar), will be present during the screenings for Q&As with the audience.

The event will also include daily forums on the future of film distribution and an overview of contemporary Southeast Asian cinemas led by Dr. Arminda Santiago, Prof. Patrick Campos and award-winning documentary filmmaker Babyruth Villarama-Gutierrez. 

Admission to the screenings and forums is free and open to the public. The festival begins at 1 p.m. and the last screening starts at 8 p.m. 

Tingin is being organized by the NCCA in cooperation with its partners ASEAN, CulturAid, Shang Cineplex and Shangri-la Plaza. For questions and inquiries, please contact Tingin marketing coordinator Ginny Mata at 0917-5296133 and ginny.mata@gmail.com. Check out the Tingin ASEAN Film Festival Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TinginASEANFilmFest) for the complete schedule and more information.

CNN Philippines Airs Special Report on Princess Diana

Love, loss, fairytale and tragedy. Princess Diana lived a life in the public eye, with every move photographed and scrutinized. But two decades after the tragic car crash that took her life, there are still compelling questions about how she lived and how she died.

CNN Philippines explores the majesty, misery and mystery of Diana’s life and shocking death in a new two part special, Diana: Chasing a Fairytale. Reported by CNN’s award-winning senior international correspondent Clarissa Ward, Diana: Chasing a Fairytale Part 1 will initially air on October 14, Saturday at 8pm while Part 2 will air on the next day, October 15, also at 8pm.

From London to the French Riviera and Paris to the U.S., Ward explores little known moments on Diana’s lonely journey to the palace and reveals intimate details about the last days of the life of a woman whose vibrant legacy lives on.

Diana: Chasing a Fairytale features revealing interviews with many of Diana’s closest friends and people around her that fateful night in Paris – some who have never spoken before – including Xavier Gourmelon, fireman and first responder to Diana’s car crash; Sir Scott Baker, coroner who led the British inquest into Diana and Dodi Al Fayed’s deaths; Patrick Jephson, Diana’s former personal secretary; Dr. James Colthurst, childhood friend of Diana’s; Paul Burrell, Diana’s former butler and close confidant; Roberto Devorik, fashion designer and close friend of Diana’s; Pierre Suu, photographer who was outside the Ritz hotel and took some of the last pictures of Diana and Dodi before they died; Ken Wharfe, Diana’s longtime bodyguard; Lord John Stevens, former Metropolitan Police Commissioner who led Scotland Yard’s three-year investigation into how Diana and Dodi died; and many more.

Twenty years on from her death, what more do we know about the crash that also killed her companion, Dodi Al Fayed, and Henri Paul, acting head of security at the Ritz who was driving when the car crashed? Investigations in both France and Britain concluded it was an accident caused by high speeds and an intoxicated driver, yet conspiracy theories continued to surface for years.

Diana: Chasing a Fairytale will replay on CNN Philippines free TV Channel 9 on October 26 and 27, November 11 and 12, and November 23 and 24. In addition to the TV airings, the special will also stream live via Facebook (facebook.com/cnnphilippines) and on cnnphilippines.com

DOE to Pursue Energy Resiliency Policy

BROTHERHOOD: As part of current resiliency efforts in the energy sector, linemen of electric cooperatives come together through the Task Force Kapatid (TFK) to help affected colleagues to immediately restore impaired power facilities. The draft energy resiliency policy looks at available resiliency models to improve existing operational and maintenance procedures and practices in the sector.


Acknowledging that disasters adversely affect the economy, environment and the people, the Department of Energy (DOE) today vowed to pursue a policy towards a resilient energy sector.

“Being one of the most vulnerable countries to disasters, the Philippines needs to ensure that our energy systems are disaster-resilient and that resiliency is an integral component of our policies and programs,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

“The policy is a priority of the DOE following President Duterte’s pronouncements to improve the disaster preparedness and resiliency of the country,” Cusi explained.

“The policy requires all the energy players to put upfront the mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction programs into planning and investment to ensure the continuous delivery and strengthening of the existing energy infrastructure,” Cusi pointed out.

In June, President Duterte signed Executive Order No. 29 which renamed the National Disaster Consciousness Month to National Disaster Resiliency Month to emphasize the shift of focus from disaster awareness building to disaster resilience.

The “Adoption of Resiliency Planning and Program in the Energy Industry to Mitigate Adverse Effects Brought About by Disasters” policy has four guiding principles:

1. Acknowledge the need to strengthen the existing energy infrastructure, facilities and systems to prepare/mitigate the impacts of disasters;

2. Implement the build back better principle in terms of reconstruction and rehabilitations of damaged infrastructure;

3. Improve existing operational, maintenance and procedures to ensure continuous operations and energy supply; and

4. Develop resiliency practices, systems and standards that will be used as basis in future construction of energy facilities.

In line with this thrust, the DOE will conduct a series of public consultations on energy resiliency policy starting on 10 October 2017 in Batangas.

This initial consultation will be followed by two other meetings in Leyte and Cagayan de Oro on 13 and 17 October, respectively.

For more information, the public may download a copy of the draft resiliency policy on the DOE's Official website: www.doe.gov.ph.