Pagsibol: Food security program for low-income communities

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The “Pagsibol” fund-raising campaign aims to plant the seeds of food security in low-income communities through sustainable food sheds – or climate resilient food production facilities – to help hundreds of families all over the country cope with the ongoing challenges of the pandemic.

BPI Foundation, the social development arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), recently partnered with the World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines) for this program to provide long-term, sustainable farming solutions for low-income urban and rural communities. The fundraising initiative will be launched in the last week of August as part of BPI’s 169th anniversary celebration. To know more about BPI Foundation and its initiatives, visit: http://www.bpifoundation.org.

Photo caption:

From left: BPI Foundation Executive Director Owen Cammayo and WWF-Philippines Executive Director Joel Palma meet virtually to sign the agreement that will help ensure food security in the country.

FDCP and The Manila Times Partner for Sine Sandaan in TMT Online Streaming Platform

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Amid the current pandemic, even the film industry has found it necessary to explore creative ways of sharing and continuing to thrive. The internet and online streaming, in particular, has been a significant tool for providing such platforms, as the industry continues to hold events while maintaining necessary safety protocols. With this, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) led initiative ‘Sine Sandaan’ is now the latest to make use of online streaming, as FDCP partners up with The Manila Times Broadcasting Corporation (TMT) to launch the online movie streaming platform ‘Sine Sandaan on The Manila Times TV.’

Through ‘Sine Sandaan on The Manila Times TV’ FDCP and TMT will celebrate the closing of 100 years of Philippine Cinema by providing an alternative exhibition platform for the Philippine film industry. The program premieres on September 18 and is scheduled to run for 13 weeks. The FDCP-TMT partnership will provide online streaming access to FDCP co-produced films through The Manila Times TV’s online platform. The online streaming initiative is one of several events held by FDCP concluding the one-year celebration of Philippine cinema’s centennial year, Sine Sandaan, which kicked off at last year’s Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. 

FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño with The Manila Times President Dante Ang

FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño expressed her excitement for the initiative saying, “‘Sine Sandaan on The Manila Times TV’ is one of the ways through which we can continue to support and exhibit our film industry despite these difficult times. It is important for the industry to not remain at a standstill and continue to find ways to exhibit their works to the public.”

Chair Diño also spoke about the perfect match for FDCP and The Manila Times to collaborate, as the FDCP looks for ways to broaden the reach of Philippine cinema and as TMT expanded its reach to digital platforms. She said, “The Manila Times TV is a new platform of The Manila Times as they shift to this ‘new normal’ and as they shift to digital platforms, because they want to access more audiences and have a bigger reach. I am honored, and FDCP is privileged to have our Filipino independent films to be part of this goal of The Manila Times TV.”

“Through this initiative, we will be showcasing the best of Philippine cinema to a broad public. The initiative will bring avenues of support to our film industry and we hope fans of Philippine cinema will appreciate the films that will be available through the free ‘Spotlight section’ and the budget-friendly ‘Master’s’ section.” 

One of the films to be available in the 'masters' section is Lino Brocka's 1975 realist classic, Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag


Sine Sandaan on the Manila Times TV will feature a ‘Spotlight’ and ‘Masters’ section. Under the ‘Spotlight’ section, film-lovers can expect a showcase of contemporary, up-and-coming filmmakers and their films such as Ang Mga Kidnapper ni Ronnie Lazaro (dir. Sigfreid Barros Sanchez), Bahay ng Lagim (dir. Celso Ad. Castillo), and Sigaw sa Hating Gabi (dir. Romy Suzara). Films in the ‘Spotlight’ section will be available for free.

Meanwhile, the ‘Masters’ section will feature world-renowned Filipino auteurs and projects including Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag (dir. Lino Brocka), Pagdating sa Dulo (dir. Ishmael Bernal), and Genghis Khan (dir. Manuel Conde)., Films in the ‘Masters’ section will be available through an affordable pay-per-view library. Both ‘Spotlight’ and ‘Masters’ sections on Sine Sandaan on the Manila Times TV will be accessible to cinephiles around the world. 

The partnership began with a call from Dante Ang to Liza discussing how they could support the Philippine FIlm Industry.

President of The Manila Times Dante Ang commended FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño “for her bold and creative initiative to partner with The Manila Times TV for the benefit of our Independent movie producers. Liza’s initiative demonstrates her compassion and concern for our movie producers” he said.

Ang additionally emphasized the importance of the partnership during these trying times for the film industry, saying in a statement “For creativity to bloom, it must have an outlet or a space; like a bird, it can only spread its wings if it is free; not caged. Sine Sandaan will provide that space. It will be an avenue for creative expressions. An avenue our movie producers can take advantage of in showcasing their works of art.”

Sine Sandaan on The Manila Times TV is part of a festive and eventful September for FDCP. Alongside the launch of the online streaming platform, FDCP will also be holding an online edition of the Film Industry Conference, an expanded online edition of the Full Circle Lab Philippines, an online social media campaign in the #SineWikainChallenge, and the launch of the National Registry mobile app. These events come prior to the online edition of the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP) scheduled for this coming October.

#ArawNgMagnanakaw Trends On Ferdinand Marcos' Birthday

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Even if I am a resident of Ilocos Norte, I refuse to acknowledge this day as a special day.

Other than being the day of the worst terrorist attack in America, the Philiipine government has made this a special commemorative day in Ilocos Norte to remember a fallen dictator which many of them still look up to as their hero.

9/11 is really a tragic day. In the US it is remembered for the terror attacks that led to the collapse of the World Trade Center in New York. In the Philippines, it should be known as the #ArawNgMagnanakaw.

A bill declaring September 11 as a non-working holiday in Ilocos Norte in honor of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, to be known as "President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Day." is a complete turnaround of what we've known for years. It is a slap in our faces, especially the victims of Martial Law.

Why should a law commemorating the birth of a former president be an issue? The simple answer is that it is contradicting historical facts and existing laws. It is like we've been thrown into a different dimension or at one of the multiverses of the DC and Marvel world.

On this day, never forget the atrocities of the dictatorship. Never forget those who were the victims of that administration.

They hurriedly buried his well-preserved remains at the Libingan Ng mga Bayani to the disgust if the majority, letting his equally guilty spouse Imelda Romualdez Marcos free inspire of a court order, and let the billions of illegally accumulated wealth remained unreturned, and now they forced us to accept a day in honor of a Guiness Records holder recognized as a crook?

A Guinness World Record holder for the Greatest Robbery of a Government is not something to be proud of....and yet this government is somewhat helping to revise history.  It is uncanny that we have two holidays that contradict themselves. How low can this government go?

Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos was a Filipino politician and kleptocrat. He's not a hero. He didn't do anything heroic.

He's a killer. A murderer. A robber. A Hitler-wanna-be. A clown. A big joke in our history.

He's a dictator, plunderer, human rights violator, not a hero. He shouldn't be stanned.

May his name be heard across all lands of our nation to remind us how cruel and horrible person he is. To remind us the darkest era of our modern time. And together we shall fight for #NeverAgain

Bewildered if you still defend and support the Marcos family despite the numerous atrocities they’ve committed and we're confirmed not just within the country but globally. Celebrating #ArawNgMagnanakaw translates to paying homage to a murderer and being an enabler of this good-for-nothing government.

Happy birthday to our worst president of the Philippines. Oh sorry, there's still Duterte currently seated in Malacanang. But do we really need to wait two more years before we could officially proclaim him as worst than Marcos?

More of Marcos' legacies, in remembrance of #ArawNgMagnanakaw (from the Martial Law Museum:

The Filipino people must not be too forgiving nor too forgetful especially when it is the dictators, like Ferdinand Marcos, who are benefitting from it.

#ArawNgMagnanakaw
#MarcosNOTaHero
#MarcosIsNotAHero
#NeverAgain