Nebrija en Filipinas: A Journey Through Philippine Languages at the UST Library

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



Instituto Cervantes and the University of Santo Tomas Miguel de Benavides Library, in partnership with the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, the Antonio de Nebrija Foundation (Madrid), the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), and the National Library of Spain, is proud to present “Nebrija en Filipinas.” This prestigious exhibit, originally curated by Teresa Jiménez Calvente with contributions from Marlon James Sales of the University of the Philippines Diliman, will feature the works of Antonio de Nebrija from August 22, 2024, to November 22, 2024, at the Exhibit Area of the UST Miguel de Benavides Library.

Embark on a unique cultural odyssey into the pioneering legacy of Elio Antonio de Nebrija, a renowned Spanish grammarian whose contributions profoundly influenced linguistic milestones in the Philippines and the world. Nebrija's works inspired the creation of missionary grammar and vocabulary for native Amerindian and Philippine languages.

Instituto Cervantes previously displayed this exhibit in Intramuros from March 12 to July 20, 2024. The exhibit is an adaptation of the Nebrija exhibition by the National Library of Spain, commemorating the quincentennial anniversary of Nebrija’s legacy. Featuring immersive panels and rare book displays, the exhibition vividly showcases Nebrija’s cultural contributions and contextualizes his influence on the earliest grammars of Philippine vernacular languages, shaped by his pioneering teachings.

Recognized as the oldest library in the country, the Miguel de Benavides Library houses several works of Nebrija, including Collectanea de variis auctoribus (1541-1549), the two-volume Dictionarium redivivum (1754), and Aelii Antonii Nebrissenis De Institutione Grammaticae libri quinque (1816), which are now located in the Antonio Vivencio del Rosario UST Heritage Library. Moreover, the Heritage Library also holds numerous works on grammar and dictionaries of various Philippine languages, including Arte de la Lengua Bisaya de la Provincia de Leyte (1663), Arte de la Lengua Tagala y Manual Tagalog (1796), and Arte de la Lengua Zebuana (1836), among others.

Join us at the UST Miguel de Benavides Library to explore Nebrija’s enduring legacy and profound impact on languages and scholarship in an exhibit that promises to enlighten and inspire, resonating through centuries and across continents.

For further information about the cultural program of Instituto Cervantes de Manila, please visit their website (https://manila.cervantes.es), or follow Instituto Cervantes on the following social media pages: (Facebook: InstitutoCervantesManila; Instagram: institutocervantesmanila).

Angara directs offices to fill all vacant positions in DepEd

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


To ensure effective and efficient delivery of basic education services at all governance levels, Education Secretary Sonny Angara has directed offices in the Department to fill all vacant positions.

In DepEd Memorandum No. 42, s. 2024, DepEd Bureau and Service Directors in the Central Office, Regional Directors (RDs), and Schools Division Superintendents (SDSs) are instructed to exhaust all measures to expedite the hiring and filling up of all vacant DepEd-authorized positions, including the newly created teaching and school-based non-teaching positions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024.

Based on the Department of Budget and Management-Government Manpower Information System (DBM-GMIS) as of May 2024, DepEd has 46,703 (4.53%) vacant positions out of 1,030,897 total authorized positions, which can be attributed to several reasons based on gathered reports.

The identified remaining vacant items pose a challenge to the operations of offices and the absorptive capacity of DepEd.

Further, DepEd directs all field offices to accomplish a catch-up plan, which can be downloaded through the link: bit.ly/UnfilledCatchUpPlan. The completed catch-up plan must be submitted to the Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development-Personnel Division (BHROD-PD) through the link: bit.ly/HiringCatchUpPlan on or before August 9, 2024.

Moreover, all DepEd offices are instructed to timely update the Personal Services Itemization and Plantilla of Personnel and the DBM-GMIS database. Other monitoring tools, such as the Program Management Information System, Quick Count for FY 2024 items, and the Deployment Monitoring Tool for school-based non-teaching items shall likewise be updated.

BAN Toxics Warns Consumers of Thailand-Made Cosmetic Products Tainted with Toxic Mercury

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



Toxic watchdog group BAN Toxics has raised the alarm against the online sale of Thailand-made skin lightening products (SLPs) that are contaminated with mercury – a known chemical hazard to human health and the environment.

In a recent online market monitoring, the group identified and purchased four (4) variants of the Dr. Yanhee Facial Cream Set in blue, green, purple, and red containers. Priced at P270, the sets include a soap, moisturizer, and day and night creams, with all labels written in Thai. The group has documented more than 50 sellers of these cosmetic products on popular e-commerce platforms Lazada and Shopee.

Each set comes with different applications: the blue set is for melasma and freckles, the green set is for anti-acne, the purple set is for gluta whitening, and the red set is for vitamins and glutathione. The products claim to be safe for teenagers, pregnant, and lactating mothers, with labels stating “No Mercury” and “No Hydroquinone.” They also claim to have been tested by Yanhee International Hospital, and certified by ISO and FDA.

“Consumers should take extra care not to be deceived by false advertisements that claim to be safe, effective, and free of harmful ingredients while hiding the danger of toxic mercury in cosmetic products,” said BAN Toxics Campaigner Thony Dizon.

Using a Vanta C Series HH XRF Analyzer, the group found high concentrations of mercury ranging from 11,300 to as high as 23,800 parts per million (ppm). This significantly exceeds the allowable limit of 1 ppm mercury content for SLPs set by the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty to which the Philippine Government is a party. The DENR and FDA regulations, as well as the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, also adhere to the 1 ppm limit.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mercury and hazardous substances in cosmetics can cause kidney damage, skin rashes, discoloration, scarring, increased susceptibility to infections, anxiety, depression, psychosis, and peripheral neuropathy. For expecting mothers, exposure to these toxins is especially concerning due to potential transfer to the fetus through the placenta and breast milk. Such exposure during fetal development and infancy could lead to lasting health risks.

The group has been monitoring the proliferation of mercury-tainted SLPs for the past years and calling the attention of regulatory agencies such as the FDA and DTI for enforcement actions to end the illegal trading of mercury-added products in both online and on-site markets in the country.

“The existing health and e-commerce regulations in the country should restrain online shopping platforms from continuously marketing unnotified, unregistered, and prohibited SLPs. The consumer’s right to health and safety must be protected and safeguarded.”

“We reiterate our appeal to online shopping platforms to take corrective action against cosmetic products that do not have proper authorization from the FDA. The deceitful actions of online sellers jeopardize public health and safety through toxic chemical exposure,” the group added.

The group communicated its findings to the Food and Drug Administration, urging it to conduct post-market surveillance, issue a public health warning to halt the unauthorized sale of Thailand-made skin lightening products tainted with mercury. The group also recommended reporting the issue to the ASEAN Post-Marketing Alert System (PMAS) to alert the FDA counterpart in Thailand.