SSS promotes social security coverage to community in Antipolo City

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


The Social Security System (SSS) promoted the benefits of social security coverage to the residents of Sitio Tubigan, Brgy. Dalig, Antipolo City on March 31, 2023.

In a caravan initiated by UPLIFT Philippines Microfinance, Inc., SSS Public Affairs and Special Events Division (PASED) Head Carlo C. Villacorta talked to the residents of the said sitio and stressed the importance of SSS self-employed membership and payment of contributions to be eligible to SSS’ various benefits and loan programs.

“We like visiting self-employed workers in their communities, most especially those in the informal sector, because we really want to make sure that they are aware of SSS programs and convince them to invest some time and effort to register with the SSS and pay contributions as self-employed members. Self-employed members of SSS are now covered by the Employees’ Compensation Program – providing for additional benefits in case of work-related contingencies,” Villacorta said.

To end the brief dialogue, Villacorta encouraged the attendees to share what they have learned with their relatives and friends who are also self-employed so that they too will know the benefits of being covered by SSS.

SSS employees from the Cooperatives and Informal Sector Department (CISD) and SSS Antipolo Branch also assisted the residents of Sitio Tubigan with their SSS transactions during the day-long event.

For SSS to visit your community, please send an invitation via email to cisd@sss.gov.ph.

Grains of Growth: Agrikonomiya 2023 Cultivating Young Minds

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Agrikonomiya 2023, with the theme “Changing the Landscape: Economic Development Through Emerging Agricultural Paradigm,” aims to inform Filipinos, especially the youth, about the current state of the country’s agricultural sector. Established in 2018, Agrikonomiya continues to serve as a ground to gain knowledge about agricultural and socio-economic initiatives and issues across the Philippines.

The event has five (5) main competitions, namely the Agricultural Resolutions Pitch, Poster Making Contest, Essay Writing, Promotional Video, and Debate Competitions. With these, participants can showcase their talents and innovative ideas. Students from different schools also get to prove their excellence in defending their assigned stances, as well as market Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Applied Economics (BS AAE) as a degree to the youth,  proving that it has so much more to offer. Although the contests were still conducted online due to the pandemic, it does not take away from the goal of the event, which is to bring light upon agriculture as a significant factor in economic growth through collective action.

Other activities such as a seminar and a culminating activity are also part of Agrikonomiya 2023’s series of events. With the theme,”Pivoting in the Current Agricultural Crisis: Adapting Emerging Agricultural Paradigms and its Implications in the Economy,” the seminar seeks to

equip all potential audiences with the amount of consciousness they need to understand the

sentiments of farmers. The culminating event, lastly, serves as the final event and marks the end of Agrikonomiya 2023.

A Growing Mountain of Achievements

UP Agricultural and Applied Economics Circle (UPAAEC), formerly UP Agricultural Economics Circle, spearheads the project. They are an academic organization based in the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), composed of bona fide students from the BS AAE program.

Wanting to convince others to take the course, experience the “sunshine” of getting into agriculture, and persevere through the rain of issues, its members launched the project. And, staying true to their vision of promoting Agricultural and Applied Economics as a field of study and career, they now hold the event, which was only a one-day program back in 2020, for a whole month long.

As a result, not even five years after the event was introduced to constituents and audiences, Agrikonomiya took to the national scene in 2021, having around 80 schools and over 500 students participating in it. Now, 558 high school students competed for this year’s competitions.

(READ: https://www.rappler.com/bulletin-board/agrikonomiya-involve-youth-agricluture-sector/)

Watch the livestream of our culminating activity for the full list of winners.

Planting the Seeds of Camaraderie

Aside from advertising the degree and creating fun activities for the youth to dive in,

Agrikonomiya also develops the spirit of camaraderie in its proponent organizations’ members, as well as other constituents from and outside UPLB. Partnerships are sowed and endorsements are made to further widen the spread of the event.

Listed below are just a few of the endorsers and partners of UPAAEC for this year’s Agrikonomiya:

Endorsed by:

UPLB College of Economics and Management Student Council

UPLB Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics

UPLB Department of Economics

UPLB College of Economics and Management

Junior Philippine Economics Society

National Economic and Development Authority

Major Partners

Daily Tribune

SparkUp

Wazzup Pilipinas

BusinessMirror

Gold Sponsor

UP Beta Sigma Fraternity - Los Baños Chapter

Silver Sponsor

TSU Economics Society

Bronze Sponsor

UP Agribusiness Society (UPABS/BISOK)

UP Society of Management and Economics Students - UP SMES

Arts and Sciences Society of English Majors

Applied Economics Society

Sandigan ng Mag-aaral para sa Sambayanan

USLS - College of Arts and Sciences Council

As the agricultural sector continues to face numerous upheavals, it is important that citizens help each other in calling for concrete, efficient, and inclusive policies by untiringly creating initiatives for the betterment of the country. Like what was shown in Agrikonomiya 2023, all must strive for economic development to reap the harvests of their collaborative efforts.

Rainie Edz Dampitan and Mark Famatigan

Reverb Worship’s “Pansumandali” Gets the Short Film Treatment with A New Music Video Starring Lara Quigaman-Alcaraz

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Shekinah Gram's story of waiting, searching, and eventually finding the One True Love that stays, is brought to life in a new music video - with a special performance by Lara Quigaman-Alcaraz.

Produced by Reverb Worship and directed by Timmy Yee, the “Pansumandali” music video is a bittersweet reflection on how past experiences may inform the way our parents raise and guide us. At the core of the story is a mother-daughter relationship (the mother portrayed by Lara Quigaman-Alcaraz, and the daughter portrayed by Patricia Chu), that starts out strained but is ultimately redeemed through humility, love, and compassion.

“Pansumandali,” the single, was written and recorded by Shekinah Gram. The chorus’ first line, “Sabi ni Mama,” has become the song’s hook, with fans of the song reportedly mistaking it as the title when they first encountered it.

Shekinah herself has a very close relationship with her mother, whose personal experiences of loss, heartbreak, and ultimately finding God inspired the story concept. When asked about a formative memory with her mother, Shekinah answers, “I cannot think of just one. It’s all of the moments spent together - the late night chats over tteokbokki, the spontaneous trips, the weekend window shopping adventures - that I consider to have an impact in my life.”

The faith her mother instilled in her is the same faith she has sowed in her song and in the music video. Shekinah leaves viewers with this encouragement: “I hope that wherever they are in the seasons of life, they will be reminded that there is One Love that does not change or falter. We will always be chosen by a good and loving Father.”

Get to Know the One True Love that never wavers, never ends. Stream “Pansumandali” on Spotify, Apple Music, and all digital streaming platforms. The official music video is now available for streaming via Reverb Worship’s YouTube channel: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8U-avbJ_VI]

For music, motivation and current Christian content, follow Reverb Worship PH on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.