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(Manila Bulletin) Bias against women remains to exist even today, including in the Philippines, with barriers that go beyond inclusivity and belongingness.

TaskUs, a provider of outsourced digital services and next-generation customer experience to innovative and disruptive technology companies, held a virtual roundtable discussion on the role business leaders in the Philippines and across the globe play in order to “Break the Bias,” in theme with this year’s International Women’s Day.

TaskUs leaders Victoria Alcachupas, Division Vice President of Integrated Marketing; Vina Paglicawan, Director of Wellness & Resiliency; and Regina Aguila, Vice President of People discussed discussed, among other topics, challenges that women face in the workplace and what organizations can do to support their female employees.

“I believe that the first step towards a gender-equal world is recognizing that bias remains to exist even today,” said Alcachupas.

“TaskUs is committed to being a part of the solution. Since the beginning, we have inculcated a culture of inclusivity and belongingness to our people. We focus on talent and skills, and not on gender identity or sexual orientation, race, background, religion, or any other societal segmentations. We believe that the more diverse the workforce is, the better.”.. Read More

(via OANN) MANILA – When Philippine Catholic priest Father Nap Baltazar raised his hands to bless the people attending mass, the sleeves on his white vestment slid back to reveal a pink bracelet inscribed with the words “Let Leni Lead”.

Baltazar, 47, belongs to a group of like-minded priests in Asia’s biggest Catholic nation who have abandoned their neutrality to oppose the presidential bid of Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the late dictator’s son and namesake, and openly endorse his closest rival Leni Robredo, whose team colour is pink.

The presidential election is set for May 9, and latest opinion polls show Marcos, also known as “Bongbong”, holds a double-digit lead over closest rival Robredo, while his running mate, Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte, remained the top choice for the vice presidency.

“I will do everything I can to make sure he does not sit as president,” Baltazar said of the 64-year old Marcos.

The priest, who says he has never before campaigned publicly for a politician since being ordained, drives a van adorned with an image of Robredo and the words “Pray and Choose Wisely. Your future depends on it” written in pink.

Back in 1986, the Catholic Church championed a “People Power” uprising that overthrew Marcos’s father and drove his family to exile.

But now, Marcos Jr, a former congressman and senator, appears poised to clinch the presidency, following a decades-long political fight back by a family accused of leading one of Asia’s most notorious kleptocracies… Read More

(Inquirer.net) Filipino-German actress Maureen Wroblewitz, who is only starting to learn how to be fluent in Tagalog, is now required to learn Tuwali, a dialect in Northern Luzon, for her latest film project.

The romantic-comedy film, titled “Take Me to Banaue,” by US-based Filipino filmmaker Danny Aguilar, also features American actor Brandon Melo playing a character who is battling a personality disorder called alexithymia (the inability to recognize, make sense of and express emotions).

“This role is actually very challenging because I will not only have to learn Tuwali but I will also have to put accents in my English, as well as in my Tagalog. To think that I’m still learning Tagalog, so being able to speak the language and then put an accent will be very, very challenging,” Maureen told Inquirer Entertainment during a recent media gathering organized by film producer, Carpe Diem Pictures.

Breaker
“Take Me to Banaue” follows the journey of Hank (Brandon), an American engineer, as he travels up north to meet Grace (Maureen), whom he thinks is the perfect girlfriend, and soon, would be his wife. This, however, proves to be difficult as Hank gets involved in a series of hilarious misadventures.

“The very first time I listened to the recording (of a person talking in Tuwali), I said I wasn’t sure I could do it, but the more I got to read the script and the more I listened, the more I’m adjusting to it. I’m picking up, little by little, but the moment I get to Banaue, that’s when I’d really immerse myself in the dialect,” Maureen said a day before the whole team drove to the Ifugao province to start their 12-day shoot… Read More

(Manila Bulletin) Well-paying jobs have been preventing some Filipinos in Ukraine from leaving the war-stricken country, a foreign affairs official said Wednesday, March 9.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola disclosed that there are still more than 100 Filipinos in Ukraine while 199 nationals have been taken out of the country who are either repatriated in the Philippines or in safe borders.

“We have a little over a hundred land-based Filipinos na ayaw pa talagang umuwi (who do not want to go home yet) but we are pleading them, calling them or asking them na umuwi na sila (to go home),” Arriola said.

The undersecretary disclosed that one of the reasons behind the overseas Filipinos’ decision to stay in the foreign land amid the fighting, is their well-paying jobs. They cannot earn high wages even if they find employment in similar work in the Philippines.

“Some of them, yung mga employers nila ay (their employers) continue giving salaries para bantayan lang yung bahay (to look after their houses) and they feel that they won’t be able to get that pay ‘pag nandito sa Pilipinas (if they are here in the Philippines),” Arriola said.

“We understand that but we’d like to tell them that over two million na yung refugees na tumawid (refugees have crossed the borders), gusto pong sabihin nun, lumalala na yung sitwasyon (that means the situation is getting worse), they should exercise their sound judgment,” Arriola added… Read More

(GMA News) Authorities arrested a man after he allegedly assaulted his drinking buddy and bit a part of his ear off.

According to James Agustin’s Tuesday “24 Oras” report, Quezon City police identified the suspects as Juanito Gaviola and Rogelio Losorata, both of whom visited the 30-year-old victim’s residence to have a drinking session.

“After nilang maginuman nagkayayaang kumain sa isang karenderya. Then yung habang kumakain sila yung isang suspect natin hingi raw nang hingi ng sabaw. Nababastos yung waitress doon,” Police Lieutenant Anthony Dacquel, chief criminal investigation unit Quezon City Police District Station 14, said.

(After having several drinks, they had a meal at a cafeteria. One of the suspects kept on asking for soup. They allegedly said some rude things to the waitress there.)

The victim said one of their companions tried to calm Gaviola down. But this only made him angrier, and an argument broke out.

When they got back to the victim’s home, Gaviola allegedly punched the victim with the help of Losorata… Read More

(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila — The Supreme Court (SC) has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) “Oplan Baklas” — or campaign against illegal posting of poll materials.

The high court issued the TRO during en banc deliberations on Tuesday, according to the SC’s Public Information Office (PIO).

It cited a petition seeking to stop the removal of election paraphernalia that are privately owned and installed within private properties.

The plea – lodged by St. Anthony College of Roxas City and supporters of presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo – urged the tribunal to declare as unconstitutional Sections 21(o), 24, Sec 26 of Comelec Resolution No. 10730.

The SC PIO said the campaign’s implementation will be suspended “while the resolution of the petition is pending.”

Comelec was given 10 days from receipt of the notice to comment on the petition.

“Oplan Baklas” drew flak from netizens and supporters of some candidates due to authorities’ supposed “overreach” in taking down election materials in select areas.

Advocates argued that the drive is “undemocratic and unconstitutional” — as it can be considered trespassing on private properties.

The petitioners, meanwhile, welcomed the high court’s move… Read More

(SunStar) OVER P1 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu), weighing approximately 160 kilograms, was seized in a drug bust in Barangay Karuhatan, Valenzuela City Tuesday afternoon, March 8, 2022.

The operation was conducted around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday by joint elements of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Intelligence Service, PDEA-National Capital Region, PDEA-Central Luzon, PDEA Special Enforcement, Armed Forces Of the Philippines, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Bureau of Customs, Philippine National Police (PNP)-Drug Enforcement Group-Intelligence and Foreign Liaison Division, PNP-Central Luzon, PNP Valenzuela, and Valenzuela Alert Center.

PDEA Director General Undersecretary Wilkins Villanueva said one Tianzhu Lyu, from Fujian, China, and his cohort Meliza Villanueva, of Conception Tarlac, sold the shabu to undercover law enforcement operatives.

Also seized from the two suspects were three mobile phones and identification cards.

Villanueva said Tuesday’s operation was a result of a series of previous anti-drug operations.

On March 1, a drug bust in Cavite yield two kilograms of shabu worth P13.6 million. One suspect was arrested.

It was followed by another operation also in Cavite on March 2, 2022, when four kilograms of shabu worth P27.2 million was seized from one suspect.

On the same day, March 2, an operation in Bulacan resulted in the seizure of 60 kilograms of shabu worth P408 million. Another drug suspect was nabbed.

In Cebu, on March 3, 200 grams of shabu worth P1.36 million was seized and four drug suspects were arrested.

On March 4, this time in Escalante City, Negros Occidental, five kilograms of shabu worth P34 million was seized and one drug suspect was arrested… Read More

(The Manila Times) THE French surveillance frigate, Vendémiaire (F743), arrived in the country on Tuesday as part of the French Navy’s deployment in Asia to cultivate regional stability, international rule of law, and partnerships among Asian countries.

The French Navy was welcomed on its port call by select representatives and personnel from the Philippine Navy headed by Commander Cyrus Mendoza, the commanding officer of BRP Conrado Yap (PS39).

According to the statement from the Philippine Navy, its counterpart will have limited interactions with the Filipinos during the scheduled shipboard tour, and send-off ceremony on March 11 with customary passing exercise (PASSEX) between the Vendémiaire and a PN ship at a pre-designated location.

All of the activities to be conducted during the visit will adhere strictly to the existing health and bio-safety protocols.

It can be recalled that the frigate’s port call comes after the visit of Rear Admiral Jean-Mathieu Rey, Joint Commander of the French Armed Forces in the Asia Pacific (ALPACI), together with the French Ambassador to the Philippines, Michèle Boccoz at the PN headquarters on March 7, where they discussed interoperability, readiness to work together and explore possible areas of collaborations between the two nations’ navies… Read More