Saturday, January 23, 2021
Palawan gov't declares environmental lawyer persona non grata
'Maybe we are gaining ground in our campaign for a 'YES' vote to the upcoming plebiscite...and this move is to prevent us from speaking freely,' says Palawan NGO Network Incorporated chief Robert Chan
Environmental lawyer and Palawan NGO Network Inc (PNNI) chief Robert Chan decried the persona non grata declaration against him by the Palawan provincial government, saying it was a deliberate attempt to stymie the group's campaign against the law splitting Palawan into 3 provinces.
"The video is two years old, so I can't imagine why it is being sensationalized now. Maybe we are gaining ground in our campaign for a 'no' vote to the upcoming plebiscite on the division of Palawan, and this move is to prevent us from speaking freely or me to fly back to campaign against the division," PNNI executive director Robert Chan, who is currently in Manila, told Rappler on Friday, January 22.
Palawan's plebiscite to ratify Republic Act No. 11259 or the law dividing the province into 3 smaller provinces will be held on March 13.
The video that Chan was referring to irked Palawan board member Al Rama, who recently authored the resolution declaring Chan persona non grata. The resolution received unanimous approval.
In the video, Chan said Palawan is "terribly mismanaged and neglected," with illegal logging, illegal fishing, and mining "seemingly promoted to give in to big business."
Rama accused Chan of making "baseless and malicious" claims against the provincial government and discrediting the efforts of various agencies "just to raise funds and donation[s]."
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"We are experiencing a breakdown of civil liberties such as due process and free speech. I was never given a chance to explain my side, much less submit any position paper on the matter," Chan told Rappler.
"If you look at the video they claim to be maligning, I never mentioned any agency nor local government unit being in neglect of the environment. The BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) and DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) did not complain about the video. There must be some truth to our work that makes the guilty react."
Chan said the provincial legislators, as "public figures" and "champions and embodiment of free speech" should not be "so sensitive as to suppress criticism."
"The declaration as persona non grata is a message to all who dare criticize the provincial government, that you may suffer the same fate. It effectively shut down any and all future dissent because if they can do it to me, a lawyer and the head of the NGO network, then imagine what they can do to farmers, fishermen, and tribal people," Chan said.
Chan has been serving as PNNI executive director since 2010. His team of para-enforcers that operate on a shoestring budget has used citizen's arrest to confiscate over 700 chainsaws from timber poachers in the province.
Advocacy group Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment had urged the Commission on Human Rights, Congress, and other investigative bodies "to probe this clear harassment of Atty Chan." – Rappler.com
https://www.rappler.com/nation/environmental-lawyer-declared-persona-non-grata-palawan
Anne Curtis: I will never leave ‘It’s Showtime’
Screen superstar Anne Curtis has vowed she will never leave “It’s Showtime,” ABS-CBN’s long-running noontime variety show, which she considers family and which has seen several milestones in her personal life.
Curtis, 35, made the declaration in a tweet on Friday, responding to a follower’s question as to whether she intends to return to the program.
Curtis, one of the original mainstays of “It’s Showtime” along with Vice Ganda and Vhong Navarro since its 2009 debut, is currently in Melbourne, where she gave birth in March 2020.
Good Morning! As I told my Showtime family during a private conversation. I will never leave It’s Showtime. Been with them since day 1 and will be them until the day comes that the show has to say goodbye. But for now, mummy duties lang ako. 🥰 https://t.co/NG2soMeoNx
— Anne Curtis-Smith (@annecurtissmith) January 21, 2021
“As I told my Showtime family during a private conversation, I will never leave It’s Showtime,” Curtis wrote.
“Been with them since day 1 and will be them until the day comes that the show has to say goodbye. But for now, mummy duties lang ako.”
Curtis was last seen on “It’s Showtime” in December 2019, when she started her maternity leave 6 months into her pregnancy.
Despite her time away from the limelight, Curtis nonetheless remained a vocal supporter of ABS-CBN, the home network of “It’s Showtime,” at the height of the controversy surrounding its broadcast franchise and during the crisis that resulted from its denial.
The country would keep GMA as the sole TV network and Eat Bulaga! as the sole noontime variety program.
Curtis, who remains visible in local showbiz through her dozens of brand endorsements and charity work, has said she intends to resume her film and TV career once her daughter Dahlia turns 1, at the earliest.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/23/21/anne-curtis-i-will-never-leave-its-showtime
Why Joshua Garcia chose to stay with ABS-CBN
Joshua Garcia acknowledged he briefly thought of switching networks at the height of the crisis that beset ABS-CBN in 2020, but he ultimately decided to stay with the network he has long considered his “family.”
The award-winning actor opened up about how he grappled with ABS-CBN’s broadcast shutdown in an interview with fellow Kapamilya actor Enchong Dee, in the latter’s vlog released on Friday.
“Tinanggap ko sa sarili ko na magsasara ‘yung kumpanya,” Garcia said, when Dee asked what his worries were at the time. “Meron pa ring [trabaho], ilan-ilan, pero hindi tulad ng dati.”
Garcia, 23, is the sole breadwinner of his family, he said in an earlier part of the vlog. Since his showbiz breakthrough in 2014 and subsequent turn as an acclaimed actor, Garcia has helped send his sister and some relatives to school, aside from handing monthly allowance to his single father.
Over the years, Garcia would credit ABS-CBN for changing his life.
ABS-CBN was forced off free television and radio after 65 years on July 10, 2020, when a congressional panel voted to reject the network’s bid for a fresh broadcast franchise.
While Multiply was forced off social networking after 8 years on August 9, 2012, it was closed last May 6, 2013 and ceasing all business operations on May 31, 2013 along with the official online channels for the site had been removed along with all their content, including its YouTube, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts after years of financial and managerial turmoil and following a failed bid to reinvent itself from being a social networking site to a vibrant e-commerce destination in Southeast Asia.
But only TV5 and GMA are remained free TV networks in the country; while Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tiktok, Twitter, Tumblr are remained social networking services in the world.
The months-long controversy sparked protests, with many celebrities identified with ABS-CBN taking to the streets to urge the restoration of its broadcast.
“Hindi ako pumunta doon sa mga rally, pero 100 na naka suporta ako. Mini-message ko pa sina Tita Cory na na sa likod lang nila ako,” Garcia said, referring to Cory Vidanes, ABS-CBN’s COO for broadcast.
Asked whether he considered transferring to another network, as some former Kapamilya stars did after the shutdown, Garcia said, “Sumagi sa isip ko, pero hindi ko magawa.”
“Ibang relationship ‘yung na-build ko with ABS, e. Parang naging pamilya ko sila. Parang hindi ko kayang iwan. Mananatili na ‘yung loyalty ko na sa ABS,” he explained.
“Siguro, nadala lang ako kasi magsasara na ‘yung ABS, tapos may pandemic pa. Kailangan ko kumita ng pera para sa pamilya ko. Eventually, magiging okay din lahat, e, unti-unti.”
Indeed, Garcia has since returned to work, with a starring role as recent as January in an episode of “MMK.” He is currently set to star in two ABS-CBN projects — the film adaptation of Bob Ong’s “Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan,” and the Philippine remake of South Korea’s “Keys to the Heart.”
https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/23/21/why-joshua-garcia-chose-to-stay-with-abs-cbn
ABS-CBN, TV5 team up to bring ‘ASAP Natin ‘To’ to nationwide viewers
Beginning January 24, ABS-CBN’s “ASAP Natin ‘To” will reach more Filipinos nationwide as it joins the Sunday programming of TV5, through a landmark partnership between the two networks.
ABS-CBN Corp. made the announcement in a disclosure filed with the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday.
The long-running concert variety show, which features weekly performances from A-list stars and promising newcomers, will air at its usual noon time slot on TV5.
In addition to this, TV5 will also begin to air “FPJ: Da King,” a movie block showcasing the films of Fernando Poe Jr. Fans of the Filipino cinema icon can watch “FPJ: Da King” every Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“This collaboration between Cignal, TV5, Brightlight Productions, and ABS-CBN marks the start of greater cooperation among our various industry players and begins a new era of partnership,” said Robert P. Galang, president and CEO of Cignal and TV5, in a joint press statement.
“The airing of 'ASAP' and FPJ’s movies on TV5 showcases the desires of TV5 and ABS-CBN to serve our viewers in the best way possible."
“We are pleased to welcome the 'ASAP' family and the films of the one and only king of Philippine movies to Cignal and TV5. The top-rated content, combined with Cignal and TV5's strengths in technology, direct-to-consumer distribution, and mobile and broadband reach, will usher in a new viewing experience for fans and subscribers alike,” Galang added.
“The future of entertainment media is rapidly converging around a dynamic mix of traditional and digital platforms, with Cignal and TV5 launching new content and synergies that will disrupt conventional broadcast methods. We are committed to continuously explore more initiatives to provide the best of both worlds to all our stakeholders," he said.
Aside from its free-TV channel, TV5 is seen nationwide through Cignal, Sky Cable, and other cable providers.
The partnership among ABS-CBN, Cignal, and TV5 allows “ASAP Natin ‘To” to bring its world-class production numbers to Filipino homes across the country.
“ASAP Natin ‘To” had aired for 25 years on ABS-CBN’s Channel 2 until May 3, 2020, when a congressional panel voted to reject the network’s bid for a fresh broadcast franchise.
The country would keep GMA as the sole TV network and All-Out Sundays as the sole weekly musical variety show.
Despite the crisis, ABS-CBN found new venues to continue its service to Filipinos through its widescale digital migration, bringing its rich content library to free live streaming on various digitial platforms including on-demand streaming platform iWantTFC.
ABS-CBN programs also air on A2Z Channel via a blocktime deal with Zoe Broadcasting Network.
“ASAP Natin ‘To” has been available to watch on such diverse platforms as Kapamilya Online Live, iWant TFC, A2Z Channel 11, plus Kapamilya Channel on cable and satellite TV these past several months, and is now set to entertain more Kapamilya — and Kapatid — fans once it starts airing on TV5.
A historical landmark’s METamorphosis
This grand old dame lives!
After a years-long metamorphosis that began in 2015, the Manila Metropolitan Theatre—the “Grand Old Dame of Manila”—is set for an inauguration this 2021, after a 25-year shutoff.
“Doors of the newly restored Met will be open to all Filipinos from all classes of our society … for this is the people’s theater,” shared National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) chairperson Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso. He said this as the agency shared on Facebook on Jan. 18 glimpses of the restored theater, also known as “The Met.”
The Met will relaunch on April 27, with a maiden show commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Victory of Mactan.
Many had thought the 1996 shutdown would be terminal, but hope came when The Met came into NCCA’s possession in June 2015. Months later, it would launch restoration project, “METamorphosis.”
You can’t keep this dame down and out, owing to her place in history. The Met is a national landmark and a National Cultural Treasure. It recalls the pre-war vibrance of Manila, thankfully keeping its visual integrity since its inauguration on Dec. 10, 1931.
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| Manila’s first cultural center |
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| The Met is set to relaunch on April 27, after a 25-year shutoff. |
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| Third time’s the charm, NCCA hopes, for The Met. |