Monday, January 25, 2021
COVID-19 pandemic fails to halt celebration of 500 years of Christianity in PH
The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop but only prolonged by a year the Catholic Church’s celebration of the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines.
The national quincentennial celebration of the First Easter Mass in the Philippines on April 4, 2021 will serve as the kick-off event with all parishes all over the country observing the simultaneous opening of the Jubilee Year.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines earlier said the site of the historic Mass was held on Limasawa Island in Southern Leyte on March 31, 1521, an Easter Sunday.
Jubilee doors will be opened in designated churches in every diocese, said Msgr. Bernard Pantin, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
“Kasi ngayon, limited pa ang attendance sa simbahan. Pero ang nangyayari kasi, parish-based siya. Kaya dispersed naman all over the Philippines kasi bawat parokya magbubukas ng Jubilee door nila,” Pantin told ABS-CBN News.
(Because attendance is limited, it's now parish-based and dispersed all over the Philippines as each one will open their Jubilee door.)
“Dahil nga sa pandemic, hindi makapunta sa main churches like, for example, Cebu or dito sa Manila. Kaya bawat diocese, ang mga Obispo, nag-decide sila na mayroong mga simbahan na pwedeng puntahan na makaka-avail sila ng tinatawag nating plenary indulgence.”
(Due to the pandemic, many will be unable to go to their main Churches. So in every diocese, bishops decided which church their constituents can avail of the plenary indulgence.)
On April 14, the reenactment of the First Baptism will be held in front of the Magellan’s Cross in Cebu City at 10 a.m., while a mass and renewal of baptismal promises and a baptism of seven children will be held at 4 p.m. at the Basilica del Sto. NiƱo in Cebu City. A cultural show follows at 7:30 p.m.
All activities will be live-streamed and posted in different social media accounts as mass gatherings are restricted due to the pandemic.
The closing activity of the Jubilee year will be held on April 18-22, 2022 for the Second National Mission Congress in Cebu City where the Papal Legate or personal representative of the Pope will be invited.
Several online activities connected to the 500 Years of Christianity (YOC) in the Philippines have been lined up throughout the year, including a virtual pilgrimage, webinars on Mission for Youth, lecture series on Philippine Church history, webinars on Mission for Ecclesial Movements, Mission for Clergy, as well as Mission for CLE Teachers, Campus Ministers and Catechists.
The theme of the Church’s celebration, taken from Matthew 10:8, “Gifted to Give,” also serves as a challenge for the faithful not only to celebrate but to go out and share the gift of the Christian faith.
“Pope John Paul II, Pope Francis have been emphasizing na tayong mga Pilipino, tayo dapat ang unang mga misyonero sa ating neighboring countries. Kaya malaki talaga itong hamon para sa atin na not only we celebrate, but we are also called to share this faith to others. Para sa ating mga Pilipino, ito ang ating gift and yet also a task: to share this faith to others," Pantin said.
(Pope John Paul II, Pope Francis have been emphasizing that we, Filipinos, should be the first missionaries to our neighboring countries. So, this is a big challenge for us - that not only we celebrate, but we are also called to share this faith to others. For us Filipinos, this is our gift, and yet also a task: to share this faith to others.)
GOVERNMENT-LED ACTIVITIES
Government-led activities will cover the Philippine-part of the first circumnavigation of the world and the Victory of Mactan, as well as other related events in 1521.
All events will be closed to the general public and will be streamed online due to the pandemic, according to the National Quincentennial Committee.
The NQC, chaired by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, began last week the 100-day countdown to the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines (2021 QCP), with the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan on April 27, 2021 central in the activities.
Expected to happen on April 27 are simultaneous flag-raising ceremonies of various government institutions in plazas and public spaces dedicated to heroes and martyrs of the country; a Quincentennial TV special, expected to be broadcast in “all TV networks,” which, according to the NQC website, will feature a Military Parade; and the Quincentennial Grand Show.
“We will follow the template of the 30th SEA Games opening ceremony which uplifted the cultural confidence of the Filipino people upon seeing on live TV and social media how beautiful their heritage is,” the NQC said.
Sunday, January 24, 2021
Gladys Reyes, Christopher Roxas celebrate 17 years of marriage
Celebrity couple Gladys Reyes and Christopher Roxas celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary on Saturday.
Reyes marked the occasion with a heartfelt message for her husband which she shared on Instagram. She likewise posted a number of their photos together through the years.
“17th wedding anniversary, 28 years of togetherness with four beautiful children. These photos pretty much sum up our journey together,” she wrote.
“You are my forever and you will always be my answered prayer. Happy Anniversary bebe!! We are forever grateful to you dear God,” she added.
Reyes and Roxas first met each other when they became co-stars in the classic ABS-CBN soap opera “Mara Clara.”
Reyes admitted in a past interview that she considers meeting her other half on the show an "answered prayer," and that she already knew then that he would be "the one" for her.
In 2018, the two renewed their wedding vows in front of family and friends, including their "Mara Clara" co-star Judy Ann Santos.
Reyes and Roxas got married in 2004. They have four kids.
North Cotabato guv, church leader favor extension of BARMM transition
Catholic Church leader Cardinal Orlando Quevedo and North Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco favor an extension of the transition from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to the Bangsamoro self-governing entity.
The more empowered Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao replaced the ARMM only in February 2019, about three weeks after voters in its proposed core territory voted in favor of BARMM’s charter, the Republic Act 11054, through a plebiscite administered by the Commission on Elections.
Catamco, who belongs to North Cotabato’s indigenous non-Moro Obo Manobo community, said Sunday she has willingly endorsed the bid of the BARMM leadership for an extension of the transition process until 2025.
An extension of the transition period shall mean deferment to 2025 of BARMM’s supposed first ever regional elections in 2022.
“I support the request of BARMM’s regional leaders and the members of its interim parliament for an extension of the transition process until 2025,” Catamco said.
Gov. Mamintal Adiong, Jr. of Lanao del Sur and members of the league of mayors in the province, covering 39 towns and more than 90 barangays in its capital, Marawi City, signed last week a manifesto stating their desire for a prolonged ARMM-to-BARMM transition process.
Adiong said the BARMM government needs three more years, from 2022 to 2025, to fully take off and become efficient in the delivery of services to its culturally-pluralistic constituents in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, in the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato and in 63 barangays in North Cotabato province.
Catamco told reporters Sunday the 2019 to 2022 transition period is too short for the BARMM to put forward its infant ministries essential to public works, health, social welfare and education services.
“We have 63 barangays in different towns in our province whose residents opted to become under the Bangsamoro region through a plebiscite in 2019. The BARMM government cannot deliver to them sustained quality public service within a short transition stage. A lot of legwork need to be done first,” Catamco said.
Catamco said there is also a need for enough time to decommission combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a major stakeholder in the peace process for which the BARMM was created for.
Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu (Maguindanao) filed last year a bill seeking the deferment of next year’s BARMM regional elections for the ARMM-to-BARMM transition to proceed until 2025 unhampered.
“The COVID-19 pandemic also stymied badly the 2019-2021 transition process. We are praying that the legislature will give its nod to our desire for its three-year extension,” Catamco said.
In a statement last week, Quevedo, a retired bishop of the Cotabato Archdiocese that has parishes in Cotabato City and in Moro-dominated towns in central Mindanao, said holding elections for BARMM elective posts in 2022 can ruin the gains of MalacaƱang’s peace process with southern Moro communities.
Quevedo is a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate congregation, whose pontifical base is in Rome and has been involved in humanitarian missions in central Mindanao and in the BARMM provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi since the 1930s.
“The constraints of time are simply insurmountable. The BTA (Bangsamoro Transition Authority) will surely not be able to complete its mandate within the period of transition,” Quevedo said, referring to the three-year transition process that started in 2019.
The BTA is comprised of 80 members appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte, comprising BARMM’s interim regional parliament.
Quevedo overtly supported the peace talks between the government and the MILF, whose revolutionary figurehead, Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, also known as Kagui Murad, is now appointed chief minister of BARMM.
The creation of BARMM was premised on two compacts reached by the MILF and MalacaƱang during 22 years of negotiations — the 2012 Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro and, subsequently, the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro.
'Parang panaginip talaga': Janine Gutierrez makes 'ASAP' debut
“Surreal, parang panaginip talaga.”
These were the words of Janine Gutierrez as she received a warm Kapamilya welcome on Sunday as she appeared on “ASAP Natin To” for the first time.
On her debut in the variety show, Gutierrez sang “Panaginip” along with Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano and Ogie Alcasid.
“I am so happy to be here with all of you. Thank you so much for the warm Kapamilya welcome. I am so grateful and honored na kayo pa ang kasama ko dito sa first time ko sa ASAP stage. Thank you so much,” she said after her number.
“This is the first time I’ve been inside a studio here. Surreal, parang panaginip talaga. I am just so happy that everything has fallen into place. It’s a new year, new opportunities,” she added.
Prior to her song number, “ASAP Natin To” surprised Gutierrez with pre-recorded messages from her family.
“Congratulations Janine. I know that you will be very happy in your new home and I hope all the projects that you will do, you will do just as well as when you won best actress for a movie. I am so proud of you,” said her grandmother Pilita Corrales.
“Hi, Ate. Congratulations on your new journey bilang isang Kapamilya. Excited ako, I’m sure excited ka rin sa mga proyektong gagawin mo sa kanila. I just want you to know that we are all very proud of you. We are all very happy for you. Keep up the good work. I love you,” said Gutierrez’s father, Monching.
Meanwhile, her mom Lotlot de Leon had this message for her: “Hi anak. Congratulations! Kapamilya na siya. Alam ko anak, nararamdaman ko na sobrang happy ka. I know also na aalagaan ka nila diyan at talagang mamahalin. I am really super proud of you sa lahat ng mga accomplishments mo. Huwag kang makakalimot sa Panginoon sa lahat ng oras. Ngayong Kapamilya ka na, alam ko lahat ng mga pangarap mo matutupad sa tulong nila.”
Gutierrez’s grandfather Christopher de Leon also has a special message for her.
“Just remember to thank God for the talent He has given you. Work hard with humility. Basta enjoy, have fun but take care always. We love you,” the award-winning actor said.
Gutierrez will be a co-host of “ASAP Natin ‘To.” She is joining her younger brother Diego on the musical variety show after she signed a deal with ABS-CBN on January 15.
Her entry to “ASAP Natin ‘To” comes during a milestone for the 25-year-old program, which added TV5 as one of its airing venues through a landmark partnership between the network and ABS-CBN.
An ABS-CBN series and a Star Cinema film are also lined up for Gutierrez, who reaped several best-actress trophies last year for “Babae at Baril.”
Aside from its free-TV channel, TV5 is seen nationwide through Cignal, Sky Cable, and other cable providers.
TV5 will simulcast “ASAP Natin ‘To” alongside the program’s current airing platforms: Kapamilya Channel (cable), A2Z Channel 11 (free TV), Kapamilya Online Live (free live streaming), iWant TFC (on-demand streaming), and TFC (overseas subscription).
#ASAPasONE trends as ABS-CBN variety show airs on TV5 for the first time
ABS-CBN’s “ASAP Natin To” is now able to reach more Filipinos nationwide as it joined the Sunday programming of TV5 following a landmark partnership between the two networks.
The simulcast of the long-running concert variety show on TV5 began on Sunday, much to the delight of avid Kapamilya and Kapatid viewers.
Several netizens were overjoyed by this development that the hashtag #ASAPasONE became the top trending topic on Twitter Philippines even before the show aired.
The first episode of “ASAP Natin To” that was simulcast on TV5 opened with a song number from some of ABS-CBN and the industry's best singers, namely Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano and Zsa Zsa Padilla, who sang “Sama-Sama” by Alamid.
It was followed by performances from the Gold Squad, Jason Dy, Jed Madela, Nyoy Volante, Joshua Garcia, Janine Berdin, Elha Nympha, Jona, Angeline Quinto, KZ, Enchong Dee, Loisa Andalio and Kim Chiu, among others.
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. š„° 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. |