pinay<3pinoy

(Time) After a weeklong review involving “two meticulous screenings” and deliberations across several departments of government, authorities in the Philippines have decided to allow the summer blockbuster Barbie to be released in the country.

“Rest assured that the Board has exhausted all possible resources to arrive at this decision,” the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) wrote in a letter on Tuesday, explaining that it “has no basis to ban the film,” though it has asked the movie’s distributor Warner Bros. to blur part of a scene that could be misinterpreted.

Barbie has lately been under intense scrutiny over the appearance of a map that some have alleged depicts the “nine-dash line”—a maritime border rejected by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague but continuously promoted by China to claim virtually all of the South China Sea.

The screening approval in the Philippines comes a day before the seventh anniversary of The Hague ruling and a week after Vietnam announced that it would ban the release of Barbie over its display of the controversial map—which also sparked U.S. lawmakers to criticize filmmakers for promoting Chinese propaganda… Read More

(WIC) From July 5th to 7th, 2023, a series of activities took place in the municipalities of San Agustin and Echague, engaging the local community and stakeholders. The program commenced with an extensive cacao information dissemination campaign, which aimed to raise awareness about the economic potential of cacao farming, its benefits to the local economy, and sustainable cultivation practices.

Furthermore, cacao tasting sessions were organized to showcase the diversity and quality of Isabela’s cacao products. Participants had the opportunity to savour various chocolate creations crafted by local producers. This activity aimed to highlight the region’s expertise in cacao processing and encourage the consumption of locally-made chocolate products.

A tree-planting activity was also held during the celebration to contribute to environmental sustainability. The participants, including representatives from the partnering stakeholders and the local community planted cacao trees in San Agustin and Echague… Read More

(Arab News) MANILA: The Philippines will step up patrols in its part of the South China Sea, a coast guard official said on Sunday, after authorities recently recorded nearly 50 “Chinese maritime militia” ships in the contested, resource-rich waterway.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines reported on Friday the presence of 48 vessels believed to be part of “Chinese maritime militia” during an air patrol conducted in late June.

They were spotted “swarming” Iroquois Reef, which authorities said is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

“Based on our last monitoring, Chinese maritime militia (remains) in the area,” Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Cdre. Jay Tarriela said in a radio interview.

“The Philippine Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for this coming week will be intensifying our patrols to make sure that they will leave the reef.”

Over 100 Chinese vessels were also spotted in the Philippine part of the South China Sea in mid-April, consisting of the Chinese maritime militia and two ships from the Chinese Coast Guard. .. Read More

(VOA News) WASHINGTON —
Two very different films are set to come out on July 21. One is about the development of the world’s first nuclear weapons. The other is about Barbie.

Which one has proved to be contentious on the global stage? Surprisingly, it’s not the Oppenheimer biopic.

Instead, the much-anticipated “Barbie” has stoked controversy in both Vietnam and the Philippines this week, with the former banning it outright and the latter considering a similar move.

Over the years, Barbie manufacturer Mattel has come under fire for producing dolls that aren’t diverse and that some have said promote unrealistic body standards.

But now the brand has inadvertently strayed into geopolitical quarrels with the movie’s inclusion of Beijing’s controversial nine-dash line on a map.

Vietnamese officials this week banned screenings of the film because it shows a map with the disputed Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea. Manila is considering following suit… Read More

(BusinessMirror) EL Niño is now considered one of the major upside risks to inflation in the next few months, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

On Wednesday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that inflation slowed to 5.4 percent in June from the 6.1 percent posted in May 2023 and June 2022.

The Philippine weather bureau, Pagasa, on Tuesday issued an advisory that El Niño’s impact will be most pronounced in the latter part of 2023 and will extend until the second quarter of next year.

“The balance of risks to the inflation outlook continues to lean towards the upside owing to the potential impact of additional transport fare increases and minimum wage adjustments, persistent supply constraints of key food items, El Niño weather conditions, and possible knock-on effects of higher toll rates on prices of key agricultural items. Meanwhile, the impact of a weaker-than-expected global economic recovery remains the primary downside risk to the outlook,” BSP said in a statement… Read More

(CNN Philippines) — People scrambled to get bills along Cebu South Road viaduct on Tuesday morning after ₱4 million worth of cash that flew out of a broken backpack of a motorcycle rider flooded the highway.

Mambaling Police Station chief Major Jonathan Taneo said John Mark Barrientos, who works for an e-wallet loading kiosk in a mall, did not notice that the cash was already falling out of his backpack while driving.

Barrientos told authorities that he only noticed that the money started flying out when he was already driving 50 kilometers away.

As seen on the videos of the incident on social media, some nearby motorists helped pick up the cash scattered all over the highway while others kept the bills to themselves.

According to the police, around ₱2 million cash were so far returned.

Taneo asked the public to turn over the remaining amount to authorities, warning that cases could be filed against them if they refuse to give back the money.

Taneo also said they are now reviewing videos and CCTVs to identify those who were on site during the incident… Read More

(Time) The Barbie movie was meant to be for everyone. “If you love Barbie, this movie is for you,” the trailer for Warner Bros.’ summer blockbuster declares. “If you hate Barbie, this movie is for you.”

But with just weeks before the star-studded film about the titular doll was set to hit theaters, some in Southeast Asia have decided that it’s not for them.

It was announced in Vietnam on Monday that the cinematic distribution of Barbie would be banned over the display of a map that includes the “nine-dash line,” a disputed maritime border that China has controversially used to lay claim to virtually all of the South China Sea, even though it was rejected in 2016 by an international tribunal.

Authorities in the Philippines, also troubled by the promotion of the “nine-dash line,” are currently deliberating whether or not to permit the release of the film. “The movie is fiction, and so is the nine-dash line. At the minimum, our cinemas should include an explicit disclaimer that the nine-dash line is a figment of China’s imagination,” Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros said Tuesday… Read More

(Interaksyon) “Go, go, go, Philippines!”

Ruffa Mae Quinto posted her popular catch-phrase “Go, go, go” following the launch of the “Love the Philippines” tourism campaign.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) replaced the eleven-year-old tourism slogan “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” with “Love the Philippines.” The rebranded campaign garnered mixed cheers and jeers among Filipinos.

This was unveiled during its 50th-anniversary celebration of the DOT last June 27.

Amid the varying reactions, Ruffa posted “Go, go, go, Philippines.”

She also uploaded an edited photo of herself with a colorful frame that seemed to imitate the official tourism campaign poster.

“Para sa tourist…Go go go Philippines! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas. Para sa bayan,” Ruffa wrote as a caption. The post was accompanied by emojis that included the Philippine flag… Read More