PhilPop Song Interpreters, Announced!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The country's premier songwriting competition, PhilPop has recently announced its roster of interpreters for the 2018 lineup. With the theme "Music. Powered by Pinoys," the foundation continues to defy expectations by championing homegrown talents from different backgrounds and music genres.

Handpicked to interpret the compositions of the top 30 semi-finalists are the following music acts: Davey Langit and the band for Kenneth John Pores' "AEIOU", Feel Day and Hans Dimayuga for Jeriko Buenafe's "Ako, Ako", Wincet Jacot and Medyo Maldito for Eamarie Gilayo and Jovit Leonerio's "Away Wa'y Buwagay", Michael Llave for his own song "Bumbero", Ferdinand Aragon for his own composition "Di Ko Man", RJ dela Fuente for Mark Jay Felipe's "Ikaw Ang Aking Pag-ibig", Jex de Castro for Carlo Angelo David's "Isang Gabing Pag-ibig", Acapellago for Philip Arvin Jarilla's "Kariton", Ataska and Nash for Sarah Bulahan's "Kelan Kaya", Carlyn Ocampo and Joshua Feliciano for Karlo Zabala's "kilabI", Leanne and Naara for Jeremy Sarmiento's "Korde Kodigo", Cacai Bautista for Elmar Bolaño and Donel Transporto's "Laon Ako", Russ Cabico for his own entry "LDR (Layong Di Ramdam)", Kyle Pulido for his own material "LGBT (Laging Ganito Ba Tayo?)", Bayang Barrios and Niliyagan for Agatha Marallos and Melvin Joseph Morallos' "Lilipad", BennyBunnyBand for Edgardo Miraflor Jr.'s "Loco De Amor!", Carlo Angelo David for his own track "Makisabay", Caleb Santos for Paul Hildawa's "Mahirap Magselos", Nitro for Marvin Blue Corpus' "Malilimutan Din Kita", Jeric Medina for Oliver Narag's "MMRA", Chud Festejo for his own composition "Nanay Tatay", Thyro Alfaro for Aikee Aplacador's "Oka", Jem Cubil for Barry Villacarillo's "Perfectly Imperfect Human", Julian Trono for Sean Gabriel Cedro and John Ray Reodique's "Pilipit", Yumi Lacsamana for Aikee Aplacador's "Promise Sorry Note", The Juans for Agatha Morallos and Melvin Morallos' "Pwede", Katrina Velarde for Michael Rodriguez and Jeanne Columbine Rodriguez's "Tama Na", Therese Villarante for Therese Marie Villarante and Henrick James Pestaño's "Unang Adlaw nga Wala Ka", Ignacio Dennis Roxas for his own song "Utang", and Eunice Jorge of Gracenote for Donnalyn Onilongo's "Yun Tayo (Formerly Taken)".

A video featuring the 30 interpreters was showcased during the Philpop Reveal and Listening Party last September 12 at the 2nd floor of Cafe 1771, Pasig City.

During the program, Festival Chairman and Philpop Board Member Mr. Ryan Cayabyab stressed the importance of regional inclusivity and giving voice to underrated artists whose compositions have the potential to impact the Filipino people's soul.

"This year, we are happy to launch 30 songs that represent stories, struggles, ambitions, and dreams of people like us. We look forward to listen and enjoy these wonderful compositions." Cayabyab also expressed PhilPop's advocacy promoting top-notch Filipino music that matters. "Rest assured that we will stay true to our commitment to look for talented songwriters and give them a platform to realize their dreams of seeing their songs across the nation."

Viva Records, for its part, supervised the official recording of the songs which will be available on platforms such as Youtube and Spotify on September 17 at 12 noon.


Road to Top 10

From the shortlisted Top 30 semi-finalists, only ten will advance to the final round. They will be judged according to the following criteria: 50% judges screening, 25% online streaming, and 25% Smart's People Choice Award voting through SMS and Twitter's conversational ad. The top 10 will be revealed via PhilPop's social media pages and website on October 22, 2018.

The finalists will be given a chance to showcase their original composition as interpreted by the chosen music acts on November 30 in the PhilPop Festival Finals Night that will be held at Capitol Commons in Pasig City.

Log on to www.philpop.com.ph for the complete instruction on how to vote for your favorite songs via SMS or Twitter.

Championing Filipino music through PhilPop

PhilPop takes pride in its advocacy to provide a sustainable platform for Filipino music acts to develop their skills through a world-class mentorship program, as well as introduce them to standard music industry practices and strategies that would harness their potential in the long run. "This year’s PhilPop campaign emphasized the meaning of unity, camaraderie, mentorship and most importantly, of generosity and the importance of giving back," PhilPop Executive Director Dinah Remolacio shares.

"Former alumni and bootcamp coaches now serve as producers, arrangers, and even interpreters to some of the compositions. What was once a rigid competition with a coveted grand prize became an avenue to build and strengthen relationships among competitors and coaches."

PhilPop 2018 is an initiative of the PhilPop Music Foundation, chaired by Mr. Manny V. Pangilinan. This year's PhilPop is supported by Mid Atlantic foundation for Asian Artists, Inc. (MAFFAA, Inc.), NYXSYS Philippines, Maynilad, Meralco, Smart, Viva Records, Ortigas and Co., Coke Studio, NCAA, OPM, Gabi Na Naman Productions, and PETA.

DOTr on Full Alert Due to Typhoon Ompong

Wazzup Pilipinas!

 

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and all its attached agencies and offices are on full alert to ensure the safety of passengers as Typhoon Ompong hits the northern part of the country. 

Days before the typhoon entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade had already directed agencies under the DOTr to prepare, be prompt in issuing advisories, and make sure that affected passengers will be attended to in all transportation hubs.

“We are at your disposal. Your government is ready to respond. We can weather the storm, together,” said Tugade during a coordination meeting in Tuguegarao this morning.

Passenger and cargo vessel trips were cancelled in various ports of the country in anticipation of rough seas. Airlines have been advised to issue timely updates of flight delays and cancellations so as not to further inconvenience passengers.

Public Utility Drivers were also encouraged to remain at the terminals if and when safety is compromised. 

“Sisikapin po natin na tugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga pasahero. Nauunawaan po namin na kalbaryo ang maghintay at matengga sa mga pantalan at airport pero kunting tiis at pasensya lang po ang hiling namin. Para po ito sa inyong kaligtasan,” said Tugade.

In Manila, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) transferred stranded passengers at the Manila North Harbor to an evacuation center in Tondo with assistance from the LGU. 

In Dumaguete, affected passengers were served hot meals and transported to the city evacuation center amid vessel trip cancellations. 

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the Manila International Airport Authority continue to issue flight advisories.

Apart from disaster response, Secretary Tugade gave specific instructions to all heads of agencies to plan out instantaneous restoration of transportation services as soon as the weather clears out.

Upon instructions of President Duterte, Secretary Tugade flew to his hometown of Cagayan to personally supervise and monitor ongoing preparations for the typhoon. 

As of this writing, signal number 3 is hoisted over the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan, based on the latest weather bulletin from PAGASA. 

Upon his arrival, the Transportation Chief immediately addressed the 1,700-strong policemen from the Regional Police Office -2 and reminded them of their duty to augment disaster response measures of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in their areas of responsibility.

 

To make sure that all efforts are coordinated, Secretary Tugade also sat down with local officials in a command conference held at the Provincial Capitol of Cagayan.

 

Secretary Tugade said the best and only weapon to combat the storm is adequate preparation.

 

“Ang bagyo hindi natin mapipigil sa pananalasa pero hindi naman din tayo mapipigil ng bagyo sa paghahanda. Humagupit man iyan o hindi, bukod sa relief goods, may nakahanda tayong cash para ipambili ng mga pinaka-kailangan ng mga kababayan natin. Hindi natin ikakatwiran sa kanila na weekend, walang bangko. Ang tulong dapat agad dumating. Kumbaga sa boy scout, dapat laging handa,” he said.

 

Secretary Tugade is joined by fellow Ilocano, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III, DOTr Undersecretary for Aviation Manuel Antonio Tamayo, Assistant Secretary for Procurement Giovanni Lopez and officials from CAAP, PCG, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), and MARINA.

Top 7 Hacks for Every Student Who Wants to Travel Around the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

There are so many beautiful places around the Philippines: Boracay, Mactan, Chocolate Hills. The list goes on and on. Visiting the Philippines should definitely be on your bucket list.

Despite having a rather unstable political situation in the country, the Philippines continues to be a very desirable location for tourists. According to Statista, the number of travelers to the Philippines will rise up to 4.3 million by the year 2021. But besides being a very touristy place, the Philippines are a rather distant place and pretty expensive to travel to.

But how can you afford traveling to this paradise if you’re a student on a budget? Let’s take a look at the top 7 hacks for every student who wants to travel around the Philippines and not spend the whole fortune on it.

#1 Plan Your Journey Ahead

Traveling to the Philippines is a very exciting event. However, it can definitely be spoiled by the bad weather forecast. The Philippines have a rather unstable weather with rains and storms regularly flooding the island. Just take a look at the weather forecast for the second week of September 2018:

Despite rather warm temperatures, the Philippines often have storms coming around, so make sure that your trip doesn’t coincide with a rainy period on the islands.

#2 Find Cheaper Tickets

If you’re a student traveling to the Philippines on a budget, you should start saving from the very beginning. Luckily, there are plenty of websites that can help you find cheaper plane tickets. Here are the most popular ones:

Google Flights: of course, Google is a go-to website that can show you the most affordable flights. You can choose the best option by using various filters.

Skyscanner: besides having standard filters to find the cheapest flight, this website also allows you to find one from the airport nearby. This website can also help you find the cheapest hotel and other traveling services.

CheapFlights: with many options to find a cheap flight to Manila, this website also has cheap vacation packages, so make sure to also check this section. Sometimes there are some pretty good offers there.

Tip! If you really want to save some money on a flight to the Philippines, be ready to monitor these websites several times each day. Good offers come and go pretty quickly, so make sure that you catch them right on time.

#3 Pack Comfortable Clothes

Pack your bags smartly: the Philippines have a fast-changing weather, so make sure that you have clothes for every occasion. Alison Gibson, an HR manager at Proessaywriting and an avid traveler, advises not to pack heels and tight clothes: “Unless you’re having a job meeting or something, the Philippines are not the place to showcase your high heels or tight jeans. You’ll be commuting a lot, so make sure that you wear comfortable clothes.”

As you’ve seen on the picture with the forecast above, you’ve probably noticed that it’s usually pretty warm there. So bring only comfortable and simple clothes with you to make sure that you won’t sweat too much. 

#4 Learn Safety Lessons

Despite being a very beautiful location to travel to, the Philippines are a rather unsafe place for tourists. There are some things you should know before you go out to explore the city streets:

Don’t bring all your money with you. There will be many pickpockets around you. But if you do need to carry all your money, insert cash in some other parts of your clothing, like shoes, socks or a bra.

Don’t wear headphones in public. You need to be aware of your surroundings.

Learn about the most common tourist scams before going to the Philippines, like fake travel agents and fake goods. 

#5 Choose Accommodation Smartly

The housing can be pretty expensive around the Philippines. A dorm room for a backpacker can cost you up to $18 a night. However, there are a lot of other cheaper options for a student on a budget, including:

Dorms outside Manila. Choose accommodation outside the city center. You can find a cheaper option, for example, in Palawan, where there are dorm beds for only $5 a night.

Go local! Some locals will gladly offer you a room at a cheaper price. But make sure that you choose a trustworthy host.

If you want an unusual experience, choose to stay in a shack on the beach. Such an option can cost you around $2 a night. Of course, make sure that the weather is warm and clear. 

#6 Go for Cheap Food and Drinks

When in the Philippines, don’t be afraid to try street food and drinks. Food is an integral part of the Filipino culture, with every local reportedly eating up to 5 meals a day!

Trying some street food will cost you only $1. If you decide to eat in a café or a restaurant, be ready to pay up to $20 depending on a location you choose. Food and drinks can cost you some fortune, so make sure you spend your money smart. 

#7 Choose Cheaper Activities and Transportation

When traveling around the Philippines, make sure that you use public transportation. Stick to ferries, if you have some time and travel on a budget. Use long-distance buses if you need to go to a distant location.

While in the Philippines, you’ll spend most of your budget on activities. For example, diving with the sharks can cost you up to $25 dollars. However, you can choose snorkeling: hiring a snorkeling gear can cost you only $5 max. To save on the activities, try to bargain: the chances are that the owner will give in and you’ll get to save some cash. 

Wrapping Up

Traveling to the Philippines is a must-do for every student! Hopefully, these tips will help you plan your journey smartly in order to enjoy every minute of it. 

Author info:

Tom Jager is professional blogger. He works at A-writer. He has degree in Law and English literature. Tom has written numerous articles/online journals. You can reach him at G+ or Facebook.