Eid al-Adha
Philippine president declares holiday on Eid al-Adha.
Eid al-Adha is one of 2 most important festivals for Muslims, says Duterte.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday declared July 31 a national holiday to celebrate Eid al-Adha, a major Muslim festival.
“Republic Act No. 9849 provides that Eid’l Adha shall be observed as a regular holiday,” Duterte said in a statement.
He added that the date was chosen based on the recommendation of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
The president advised the Muslim community to maintain social distancing during the festivities.
Muslims make up around 10% of Philippines' 100-million population, according to the commission.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, a Muslim majority autonomous region located in the southern Philippines, announced that the Eid prayer would be performed today.
No one is above the law. We are all equal, whatever nationality it is. We must help each other to fight this pandemic. We don't need discrimination in our life. Respect others to gain respect in return.
The History of Bedbox Hotel
14 Years ago, At least three hotel employees were found dead and a fourth was seriously wounded after a Christmas party at a hotel in Dagupan City early Sunday morning.
Sun-Star Pangasinan reported Sunday afternoon that the employees were found dead Sunday morning at the ground floor of Floren Hotel located at Rizal Street. The fourth survived, but sustained serious injuries in the head while security guard on duty, Victor Dalisay was nowhere to be found after the incident.
Police suspected robbery as a motive, after finding that some P15,000 in billeting collection from its guests was said to be missing. City police chief Edgar Basbas identified the victims as room boys Michael Belo, 23, and Jojo Calamagan; and information desk clerk Arcyll Molano, 23. Another room boy, Jurios Adress, was still alive and was rushed to the Region I Medical Center. Investigators found Calamagan sprawled at the sofa of the hotel lobby.
Belo’s body was found at the coffee shop and Molano’s body at the stockroom behind the front desk. Police suspect Molano was dragged from the front desk to the stockroom.
All four victims sustained injuries in the head either from stabbing with the use of a "colonial knife" or "Rambo knife," or hit hard with a 2x2 piece of wood.
On the other hand, Basbas said they are investigating why Dalisay left his post at the time the murder took place. Dalisay was on duty from 7 p.m. Saturday until 7 a.m. Sunday. Yet Dalisay’s last logbook entry was at 4:30 a.m.
The hotel employees had a Christmas party that night, which lasted until 2 a.m. Basbas said the crime could have been carried out between 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. by more than two persons.
Initial investigation disclosed that Dalisay and an unidentified companion allegedly flagged down a passing tricycle and instructed the driver to report to the police that there was allegedly an ongoing hold-up.
Fortunately, a few days later, Joross, the surviving victim, finally healed and was able to tell the authorities everything that happened that morning.
According to Joross, while everybody was enjoying the party, one of their staff confided in him about his family problems. The person was identified as Jhun-Jhun Romero, the hotel’s laundry boy.
With this information, the authorities invited Jhun-Jhun for questioning. Jhun-Jhun admitted he was there when the crime happened but denied killing the victims.
According to Jhun-Jhun, the whole crime was Victor’s idea. Victor told him to look for a sturdy piece of wood—the very object that Victor allegedly used to hit the victims with.
Unexpectedly, on December 29, 2010, Victor surrendered to the authorities. But in his statement, he identified Jhun-Jhun as the mastermind. According to Victor, it was Jhun-Jhun who coerced him to participate in the crime.
But despite their contradicting statements, both Victor and Jhun-Jhun were charged with robbery with homicide.
Few years after the incident, the hotel changed their name to Orchid's Hotel and was later changed to Bedbox Hotel
Make Money Online Became Trending This Pandemic
The year 2019 was peaceful until the Coronavirus Disease was discovered at the close of 2019 at Wuhan, China and it spread this 2020. At the end of January 2020, we had our first case of the virus here in the Philippines.
From 2018, after the great flood that happened here in Dagupan City, we went to my father's homeland, Pozorrubio, and spent Christmas there. From 2019, I started helping my father with his work there. When I had enough money from my salary, I cashed in my coins.ph account and started a loading business.
From 2020, the pandemic year, many businesses started to close either temporarily or permanently so many people were jobless. My loading business was also didn't survived. I cannot cash in on some establishment because of the pandemic. As the year goes deep, make money online became a trending form of a job for all the people who were badly affected.
I tried several apps that pay when you play their game but it's tedious because of their requirements. There's only one app that paid me until now, the Buzzbreak App.
One time, I was into messenger bots and IWE-type of investment and both of them were a scam. I started to search on youtube and was into cryptocurrency. At first, I was beginning to use free mining websites but unfortunately, all of them were a scam. I switched to doubler sites and saw geniuschange. That was the first time I was scammed in cryptocurrency.
Lately, I found legit apps and websites that paid me. The first cryptocurrency that paid me was XRP, dropz and cryptmedia. Then I found read.cash for my BCH. Other form was telegram bots with DOGE, and LTC.
Trump says he is considering banning TikTok
In his typically vague-yet-ominous way, Donald Trump said his administration is "looking at" whether it might make a decision to shut down TikTok in the United States.
The social media app is owned by a Chinese firm – though allegedly run by an American CEO. US officials have raised concerns about the Chinese government tapping into private and personal data via Americans' cell phones via such smart phone applications.
The president called the actions of that and other big technology companies "very bad," but did not get into specifics. He has in the past accused them of censoring conservatives.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently issued a warning for Americans who use TikTok.
"With respect to Chinese apps on people's cell phones, I can assure you the United States will get this one right too, Laura," he said. "I don't want to get out in front of the President [Donald Trump], but it's something we're looking at."
Some GOP lawmakers also have been outspoken about TikTok.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley has pushed a bill that would ban federal employees from using the app on their government phones.
Congress is also wary of the Chinese-owned social media app.
An amendment from GOP Congressman Ken Buck banning federal employees from downloading the app on their government phones made it into the Democratic-controlled House's version of the annual defence spending bill that passed earlier this month.
A Senate Homeland Security subcommittee approved a twin bill in that chamber last week.
"TikTok is a major security risk to the United States, and it has no place on government devices," Mr Hawley said in March, when he introduced his bill.
Battle of Grandmasters qualifier winner tagged for computer assistance
The National Chess Federation of the Philippines hands Nelson Mariano III a three-month ban after he was tagged for computer assistance by chess portal Lichess.org
Nelson Mariano III, who topped the qualifying tournament for the Battle of Grandmasters on Sunday, June 21, was disqualified by chess portal Lichess.org for alleged computer assistance.
The National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) handed Mariano a three-month ban from NCFP-sanctioned events but said it can remove the ban if he wins his appeal versus Lichess.org.
Mariano, a Fide Master, won the one-day online event to select 9 qualifiers for the BOGM finals.
He finished ahead of Zulfikar Sali, Arden Reyes, veteran Angelo Young, Gio Mejia, Sander Severino, Chito Garma, and Joseph Galindo.
Ninth was Kim Yap followed by Oliver Dimakiling, John Marvin Miciano, and Rolly Parondo.
"The Lichess account of Nelson Mariano III has been tagged for using computer assistance. He has appealed and the NCFP requested a second review of his games," an NCFP statement said.
"Pending his appeal with Lichess.org, we have to impose a ban from NCFP tournaments for 3 months starting today. The ban may be lifted if Lichess reverses its action," the NCFP statement added.
This means Mariano has until Wednesday evening, June 24, to win his appeal before the NCFP draws up the list of players for the BOGM final on June 28.
Mariano said he wrote his appeal to Lichess on Sunday but has yet to receive a reply.
He is the latest Filipino chess player to come under the spotlight for allegedly using computer assistance in online tournaments.
David Elorta, the Philippines' speed chess king, and Rizalyn Tejada, who topped the first stage of eliminations of the Asian Juniors, were meted out the same ban.
But former Palarong Pambansa champ Eric Labog Jr, accused by Chess.com for violating its fair play policy, was able to reverse the decision, thus erasing his three-month ban.
Flood hits Dagupan 2yrs Ago. Is it solved?
The City Council on Saturday (July 21, 2018) placed this city under a state of calamity due to massive flooding that required the evacuation of residents in severely affected areas.
Resolution No. 5651 says flooding was caused by four-days of torrential rains dumped by the southwest monsoon and the prevailing low-pressure area affecting Luzon.
A breach in the dike along Sinocalan River, which traverses Sta. Barbara town, also raised the flood levels.
Close to a hundred villages in 14 towns and cities have been flooded since Thursday (July 19) due to continuous rains, according to the provincial disaster risk reduction and management council.
All of the people were affected by the flood. Our barangay is not new when it comes to flood. For the second time, after ten years, the flood knocked through our house. Before the flood entered the house, we already prepared. We moved all the furniture upstairs. Then I was in the living room monitoring the flood. I relaxed a bit and was playing Naruto Online on my laptop back then when i noticed the floor is wet.
I hurried putting my laptop upstairs and put some cloths to stop the flood from getting in but the bathroom was also flooded. We had no choice but leave it as be.
We also garaged my father's motorcycle inside our house because it was getting deeper.
Upstairs, we do our cooking, luckily we had a terrace with a faucet and took bath there. We also had toilet on the next floor so we have no problem
Year 2019, the government raised the road for flood control but it was raised exaggeratedly so we also raised our ground equal to the road this 2020 when we know how high became the road is.
Look at the transformation!
Let us see what will happen in the near future. By the way the, half of the road is still not finished. Will the flood permanently solved?
Man in Spiderman disrupts Game 5 of 2019 PBA Finals
In one of the weirdest scenes in local basketball history, a man wearing a superhero costume took the spotlight — but not in a good way.
https://youtu.be/RKSP11MuL7Q
A man dressed as Spiderman entered the hardcourt Friday without permission and collided with San Miguel Beermen's June Mar Fajardo at the 6:03 mark of the final quarter in Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Security personnel immediately apprehended the man and brought him away from the court.
San Miguel player Ronald Tubid was seen stepping out of the court to throw a punch at 'Spiderman'.
https://youtu.be/Aaoq0ov8hPM
Asked why he did it, the unidentified man said he just wanted to advocate love to all.
The Beermen fell short in the contest after Magnolia's Mark Barroca sank the buzzer beater to lift the Hotshots to the victory and series edge.
Social Distancing
Social distancing! A new law that we need to follow!
Oppose that law! You will definitely feel that sorrow
Cry all you want! The government can get you arrested
If you don't want to be detained, you must learn that lesson.
Always use a fask mask when you go outside of your house
Lead your people, be a model. Use your voice to announce
Don't stop believing! We can overcome this pandemic
Intended for the frontliners, kudos to the medics
Stay at home, save people's lives and stop spreading the virus
Tell God, we really need a successful anti-virus
Allow frontliners do their job. Don't discriminate them!
No time discriminating! Need this pandemic to end!
Cast your fears away. God's always protecting us. Just pray
It will give us the strength. So pray! This is the perfect day.
Note that if we overcome this pandemic someday
Good and bad memories! Practice new normal everyday.
A POEM BY PATRICK DG
Video "2hrs Of Doing Nothing", Gets 680K Views
If you’re a fan of the comedian Russell Peters, you’d probably be familiar about a popular comedic bit he made back in the day. It’s about how men have the ability to sit for 15 minutes, stare off into space and think about nothing.
Well, make that 2 hours and 20 minutes because that’s the exact amount of time an Indonesian Youtuber recorded himself doing absolutely nothing and posted on his channel. If you think no one in the world would actually watch such a video, then think again!
Titled “2 JAM Nggak ngapa-ngapain” or translated to mean “2 HOURS of doing nothing“, it proved to be a hit with viewers from Indonesia and in our country as at the time of writing, it currently has 683,000 views with 38,000 likes. Woah!
Uploaded by Youtuber Didit on his channel “sobat miskin official” which literally means “official poor friend” in Bahasa Indonesia, it has since become a meme within social media in Indonesia.
In fact, it has become such a hit and even an inspiration to us all (I mean, who doesn’t want to do absolutely nothing everyday right?), that his subscribers’ count in the last month has shoot up a whopping 14,600 according to Social Blade!
College of Survival, The Road to Chicken Dinner
Finishing a degree is every people's dream but before that, you need to finish your university studies. You need to be focused on what you need to do in order to stay on track to complete that goal. You will need a lot of learning strategies to work that out.
Studying is not a competition where you need to go on top of others. It is a test where you challenge yourself, to practice how you will gonna handle the real-life situation that awaits us upon completing graduation. One learning strategy in studying is for everyone to unite. You need each other to survive college. You will share the same pain, you will share the same happiness and that builds a strong foundation for friendship.
In our case, we are very stressed with our thesis as the last stepping stone for our course. We are divided into five thesis groups. Every group shares what their accomplishments are, we also share our problems. If one of us has difficulties, other groups are willing to help.
When all of us are stressed, we came to a point where we need to put away that stress so we decided to play Rules of Survival (ROS). We played squad mode with the players with the same thesis members. We also made our thesis adviser play. That game helped us from getting stressed with the thesis and made it to the top together.
We agreed that we will edit our graduation groupie and make it ROS-like graduation with our ign written in the picture and you can call that "College of Survival (COS)"
Meet Android 69, A DIY robot using E-Waste
Nowadays, we live in a world full of technologies. Many technologies evolve from time to time. Different technology companies compete with each other for their products. Some companies release their products to the market. A handful of them observes their rival's product to know what they can upgrade with their own products.
As time goes by, many gadgets are produced within a year. Now, older versions become obsolete because their system is becoming outdated. Because of that, this generation is obsessed with technology and we change our gadgets almost as often as we buy new clothes. Every time a new upgrade comes out, we throw our old gadgets away and buy a new one. Throwing gadgets expands the list of our E-Waste on our planet.
E-Waste is electronic devices and gadgets nearing or at the end of its useful life. It covers discarded obsolete electronic devices, cellphones, notebooks, game consoles, and their components.
Our school organization conducted a tournament for us, Computer Engineering students, to make a DIY robot using damaged E-Waste. Because we had a small population in CPE, the seniors (fifth year) were the ones who are conducting the program so the juniors were divided into two groups representing the third and fourth year.
In building the robot, we, the fourth year, used the damaged earphones as its antennae. We used the game controller's joystick as its eyes. The busted phone chargers served as its arms. Two broken computer mouse served as its feet. The wires serve as veins. Various computer parts were used in building this robot such as the CPU, AVR, and other old devices. We won the tournament defeating the third-years. They lost because they used a fully functional flashlight in their robot disregarding the mechanics.
The judges suggested naming our robots. As decided by our group, we named our robot, "Android 69"
Did Coco Martin buy a 43 million-peso armored car?
Car enthusiasts know a good car and a great car when they see one. They also know which costs more than the other and which has more value. Same goes with car collectors who were once car enthusiasts who got lucky enough to be actual collectors. We don’t know much about cars but a recent photo of Coco Martin with an armored car made rounds on the internet.
The car was estimated to cost around 800 thousand dollars or 43 million pesos. The question now is, is it his? Or is it for a movie or his on-going series?
According to Top Gear, the vehicle is an Inkas Sentry Armored Personnel Carrier. Top Gear dubbed it as one of the coolest vehicles on the face of the planet. It’s a four-wheel-drive with capabilities withstanding ammunition from high-powered rifles and hand grenades.
Coco Martin is known to be quite the car collector. On his Instagram account, he would often share photos of his favorite cars and motorcycles.
In 2014, he was featured on ABS-CBN’s “Kris TV” where he flaunted three of his cars and a Ducati. One of the three was a black BMW that he claimed was his lucky car. Whether it’s for business, or to show off, Coco had a car for his every mood.
Four years later and his collection became bigger and much more impressive. Dodge Challenger, Mini Cooper, Jeep, and many more.
The question remains, however, is the Inkas Sentry Armored car his?
Coco Martin has been in the industry for a while now. He has had a lot of projects under the Kapamilya network and has truly become a successful actor. He is currently working on his long-running series “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” and has an upcoming MMFF movie “Jak Em Popoy: The Puliscredibles.”
Dagupan starts flood mitigation projects
THE Dagupan City Government will start the construction of flood mitigation projects recommended by the city's Flood Mitigation Commission (FMC).
In a Facebook post on Monday, July 20, the city Public Information Office (PIO) said among the lined up projects is the construction of a pumping station at the end portion of the Mariposa creek on Rizal Street to ease the flooding along Galvan Street and the City Hall compound due to high tide.
"Our initial target is to be able to minimize flooding that we experience at the central business district of the city because of the sudden rainfall and high tide," Mayor Marc Brian Lim said.
Lim said vendors, business establishments, and market-goers are affected by the flooding caused by high tide.
The FMC recommended the construction of seven pumping stations in the city's flooded areas.
"A pumping station is composed of a sump pit where floodwaters are collected and a water pump that will pump back to the river the collected floodwaters," the PIO said.
The FMC also suggested that all obstructions in the creeks and drainage canals should be removed for the water to freely flow.
Lim said a team from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is cleaning the canals on the national road while a declogging machine of the DPWH will soon arrive in the city.
He added once the flooding problem in the city's downtown area is resolved, the barangays in the upstream of the Pantal River will be addressed next.
The PIO said the barangays through the city's food-for-work program have started cleaning the water canals in their communities in preparation for the onset of the rainy season.
Missing Woman Found Inside Septic Tank After 4yrs
A missing woman has been finally found inside of their own septic tank after four years, her daughter and its boyfriend are the suspects.
The remains of the 54-year-old woman identified as Ma. Evelyn Sayos has been found inside of a septic tank on their house at Dasmariñas, Cavite. Sayos is has been missing for four years specifically last 2016.
Evelyn’s daughter Jhoanna Marie Sayos and its boyfriend named Ronald James Rubi were the primary suspects for the crime. Jhoanna claimed that her mother went to Singapore after having a misunderstanding.
In 2018, the relatives of the Sayos reported to the police authorities that the victim is already missing.
The Dasmariñas police conduct an investigation, which brings them to Jhoanna Marie and its boyfriend. Eventually, the couple admitted the crime. Rubi smashed the victim’s head with a hammer and stabbed her with a knife.
“May hindi tapos na septic tank doon sa loob ng kanilang bakuran, nilagay niya ‘yong patay na magulang ng babae doon, umorder ng graba, semento, buhangin, hinalo niya, tinabunan niya doon. Tapos from time-to-time na umaamoy ‘yon, ang remedy na ginawa niya is dinadagdagan niya ulit ng semento,” Police Lieutenant Colonel Richard Ang said.
Ang also revealed that Rubi has extreme hatred towards the victim, which prompted him to commit the gruesome crime.
Duterte wants probe into J&T Express mishandling
'I am not condemning you now. I am also not insinuating that you are liable or guilty of doing it. It would depend greatly on what is the result of the investigation,' says President Rodrigo Duterte.
President Rodrigo Duterte said that he wants courier service J&T Express investigated, after a viral video of its staff "mishandling parcels" made rounds on social media.
In a recorded address that aired late Tuesday evening, June 30, Duterte said he wants the National Bureau of Investigation, the police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue to launch a probe into J&T's operations.
"I am not condemning you now. I am also not insinuating that you are liable or guilty of doing it. It would depend greatly on what is the result of the investigation," Duterte said.
Indonesia-based J&T is in hot waters after a viral video showed staff recklessly throwing parcels into trucks and not wearing protective gear required during the pandemic.
The courier service has since apologized and promised to investigate the incident. As some social media users continued to release more posts of alleged mishandling – which J&T said was already "resolved" in the past – the firm threatened to sue people who make "malicious posts" against the brand.
Duterte urged the public to file complaints against J&T with the police. The President also warned the courier service that it will be shut down should government agencies find J&T liable.
"Sasarhan talaga after the CIDG and NBI finish their investigation and point a liability sa inyo…. If I'm satisfied na medyo may kalokohan, sisirain ko kayo," Duterte said.
(I will close you down if the CIDG and NBI finish their investigation and find you liable. If I'm satisfied that there are anomalies, I will close you down.)
J&T entered the Philippine market only in March 2019. It started business in Indonesia in 2015 and has since expanded to Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore
The Unreachable You
Stay away I need you too badly
How can I ever make you happy
Afraid that you'll gonna go away
Isn't this just another replay
Nothing right is happening today
All I wanna do is make you stay
Moments we shared, Need you to cherish
All of it, I won't make it perish
Explain why? Why do you wanna leave?
Don't you know how much I'll gonna grieve
Every smile you fake, know it's not true
Going away? How can I stop you?
Under the moon, staring at the sky
Zephyr smells like you, please come back! SIGH!
Mem'ries of you starts to reminisce
A lonely place, perfect time to miss
Nothing's gonna change my love for you
Love someone else ? Don't know if it's true?
You're with him now, it's the ugly truth
Still love you, it's my power of youth
A POEM BY PATRICKDG
Philippines SEC warns against Forsage and others.
How strict SEC in the Philippines?
The securities regulator of the Philippines has issued a warning to investors to be wary, following the publication of its latest round of unauthorized digital currency companies.
In a press release, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) flagged three firms: Forsage, RCashOnline and The Saint John of Jerusalem Knights of Malta Foundation of the Philippines, Inc.
According to the regulator, none of the three have the appropriate licenses or registration requirements in place, leaving investors vulnerable to being scammed. As a result, the SEC said investors should exercise caution and avoid dealing with these firms.
Forsage, led by founder Lado Okhotnikov, is not registered with the regulator, and therefore does not have the legal standing to solicit investments or sell digital currency investment products.
The same is true for RCashOnline, which according to the regulator isn’t even constituted as a partnership or corporation. In the case of Saint John, an earlier license was revoked as far back as 2003, following noncompliance with reporting obligations.
Under the Securities Regulation Code, anyone who engages in unlawful investment activity faces sentences of up to 21 years in prison, in addition to a fine of up to P5 million.
The SEC warning is the latest to come from the regulator, which maintains a list of ‘blacklisted’ companies. With digital currency investment scams on the rise, particularly during the ongoing global health crisis, investors are cautioned to be more diligent than ever before parting with their money.
Other laws are in place to hold to account those participating in cyber-attacks and scams around the COVID-19 crisis, covering scams, frauds and phishing attacks based on the crisis.
“The Commission encourages the public to visit the SEC website to see the advisories it issues regularly and to report unauthorized investment-taking and suspicious activities of corporations to the SEC Enforcement and Investor Protection Department through email at epd@sec.gov.ph.”
The regulator is now expected to work with local law enforcement to shut down those operating illegally.
'Haikyuu!!' Manga Ends Eight-Year Run
The 32nd issue of Weekly Shounen Jump of 2020 announced on Monday that Haruichi Furudate's volleyball manga Haikyuu!! will end in the magazine's next issue. The manga will end its eight and a half year serialization in the combined 33rd and 34th issue on July 20.
Synopsis
The whistle blows. The ball is up. A dig. A set. A spike.
Volleyball. A sport where two teams face-off, separated by a formidable, wall-like net.
The "Little Giant," standing at only 170 cm, overcomes the towering net and the wall of blockers. The awe-inspired Shouyou Hinata looks on at the ace's crow-like figure. Determined to reach great heights like the Little Giant, small-statured Hinata finally manages to form a team in his last year of junior high school, and enters his first volleyball tournament. However, his team is utterly defeated in their first game against the powerhouse school Kitagawa Daiichi, led by the genius, but oppressive setter dubbed the "King of the courst," Tobio Kageyama.
Hinata enrolls into Karasuno High School seeking to take revenge against Kageyama in an official high school match and to follow in the Little Giant's footsteps—but his plans are ruined when he opens the gymnasium door to find Kageyama as one of his teammates.
Now, Hinata must establish himself on the team and work alongside the problematic Kageyama to overcome his shortcomings and to fulfill his dream of making it to the top of the high school volleyball world. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Prior to serialization, Furudate published two one-shots in Shounen Jump NEXT and Weekly Shounen Jump in January and April 2011. The manga joined the latter's regular lineup in February 2012. Shueisha published the 43rd volume on May 13 (pictured), with the 44th volume scheduled for an August 4 release. Haikyuu!! has a cumulative 38 million copies of its volumes in print.
Production I.G first adapted the manga into a television anime in Spring 2014, which was followed by three more seasons in Fall 2015, Fall 2016, and Winter 2020. The manga also inspired four compilation films, the latest of which premiered in Japan in September 2017. The second cours of the fourth season, Haikyuu!!: To the Top, will premiere in Fall 2020.
Crunchyroll simulcast the seasons with subtitles as they aired in Japan. Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime series in North America and released the first three seasons on home video in June 2015, April 2018, and November 2019, and later with an English dub. The third season's dub debuted on HIDIVE on November 29 last year.
VIZ Media licensed the manga in English under its Shounen Jump imprint in 2016. The company now simulpublishes the chapters with the Japanese release on its Shounen Jump platform. The 39th volume shipped on July 7, with the 40th volume scheduled for release on September 1.
Haikyuu!! won the 61st Shogakukan Manga Awards in the shounen category in 2015.
Kai Sotto draws high praise from coach in US
Expectations don’t come small for 7-foot-2 Kai Sotto.
Not only is Sotto being deemed as the biggest shot in becoming the Philippines’ first full-blooded player to make the NBA, he is also expected to help bring the country back to the Olympics.
“I think the Olympics will be a very big stage for Kai and will give the world a chance to see him represent his country versus the other top countries in the world. He will be exciting to watch on that stage,” Rob Johnson, Sotto’s coach at The Skill Factory in Atlanta, said in a recent interview with the Olympic Channel.
The Philippines hasn’t made the Olympics since the 1972 Games in Munich, Germany.
But Johnson believes all that is about to change with Sotto as the future of Philippine basketball.
Johnson, who has been working with Sotto since he moved to the United States to train last year, has no doubt that the 18-year-old center has the tools to make it big.
“Kai has a great attitude about training. He is a gym rat. He loves finding out information to apply to his game to help him improve, Kai is very enjoyable to work with,” he said.
Among Sotto’s biggest improvements are his “overall strength and explosion,” according to Johnson, who also praised his ward’s dedication to the game.
“Kai has great basketball IQ. He is easy to coach and understands instructions and concepts at a very high level.”
Sotto took a big step toward his NBA dream when he decided to skip college to sign with the NBA G League last month and join other top US prospects like Fil-American Jalen Green in the pathway program.
“I believe the G League will be a great challenge for Kai, but I believe he is prepared to play at that level and will continue to improve as the season develops,” said Johnson, who also has no second thoughts that Sotto will make it to the NBA.
Xander Ford comes out as bisexual
Xander takes to Instagram to say he is part of the LGBTQ+ community
Xander Ford says he is now part of the LGBTQ+ community, coming out as bisexual on his Instagram stories on Friday, July 17.
“I am part of LGBTQ,” he said in one story, adding the hashtag #bisexual and a rainbow emoji.
In a video that followed, he showed himself singing Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love” with his friends, writing “thank you tanggap niyo ako (thank you for accepting me).”
In another story, Xander shared a video of him speaking in both a masculine and effeminate way. On the video he wrote, “bading daw ako (they say I’m gay)?” with a shoulder-shrugging emoji.
He also shared a post on his Instagram feed, saying “Being one of them is not a crime. #bahaghari.”
Xander first rose to fame as Marlou Arizala, a member of the boy band parody group Hasht5. He went viral in 2017 for his drastic cosmetic surgery, at which point he also started going by the name Xander Ford.
Xander had previously been accused by an ex-girlfriend of rape and abuse. In June, she went on Facebook to posts screenshots of conversations between her and Xander, as well as photos of bruises that supposedly came from the physical abuse.
In her posts – which have since been deleted or made private, she said that Xander had forced her to have sex with him even when she didin’t want to.
He later took to Facebook to deny the claims and ask her to discuss their issues privately.
Mon Confiado plays Filipino lead character in U.S.
Filipino actor Mon Confiado is starring as a Filipino character in the upcoming suspense-action-packed United States film, Turncoat.
The seasoned actor is again the main character in a foreign movie, following his lead role in the 2017 U.S. film, Stateside.
Confiado, who played countless roles in award-winning films such as the Philippines’ Oscars bets Heneral Luna and Signal Rock, and the Cannes-awarded, Ma’Rosa, shared the good news on his social media on July 14, 2020, saying his movie will be released soon.
The Filipino actor posted some of the exciting details of his international film directed by Marcial Chavez, a Filipino-American indie director.
The must-see film set in the U.S. stars Confiado and Italian actress Annaluisa Capasa who plays the role of the wife of Confiado’s character.
The story revolves around Confiado, who lives a decent life with his wife, but must deal with his vicious past.
Mon Confiado’s Facebook post provides the synopsis of the film:
“A mild-mannered man lives a happy and quiet life with his Italian wife in LA. Suddenly mysterious people telling him he was a former hitman in Manila and charging that he is someone else for whom they’ve been looking. Is this a case of mistaken identity or he has a history no one knows about? He must confront his violent past.”
The Turncoat sneak peek images reveal intense scenes with Confiado wielding a gun, giving a thrilling action vibe.
Although the Filipino actor shared some of the details of his suspense-action film, the release date of the movie is still undisclosed.
The world-class actor has been making his mark in the international film scene with his recent appearances in the Korean Action-Adventure Film “The Golden Holiday” and Japanese film “DITO” 此処 (Koko).
Official Statement from DepEd
July 17, 2020 – The Department of Education (DepEd) would like to report that as of Friday, July 17 (8AM), there are already 21,344,915 enrollees in basic education for the combined public and private schools for School Year 2020-2021 at the end of enrollment period. This represents 76% of last year’s enrollment. For the public schools, the enrollment is 20,147,020, representing 88% of SY 2019-2020 enrollment.
We anticipate the figures to still increase in the coming weeks due to a lag in reporting of enrollment data, especially from private schools. Their enrollment period does not necessarily coincide with the enrollment period of DepEd. Reports for homeschooling are not yet in while learners in the Alternative Learning System have been affected by the loss of jobs occasioned by the downturn in the economy.
We are optimistic that we can meet our adjusted target of 80% of last year’s enrollment (27.7M) submitted to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
The enrollment numbers for School Year 2020-2021 are encouraging because, despite the challenges posed by the economic impact of COVID-19, a clear majority of our parents have decided that the education of their children must continue.
However, we will still allow late enrollees. As stated in Sec V.D of Department Order No. 003, s.2018, “A school may accept late enrollees provided that the learner will be able to meet eighty percent (80%) of the prescribed number of school days for each school year and the quarterly requirement to pass the grade level as governed by the latest existing applicable DepEd issuances.”
We express our appreciation to the general public, especially the parents of our learners, which continues to believe that DepEd can deliver learning opportunities through various learning delivery modalities in a safe manner.
We thank the President for his consistent support for education, including “scraping the bottom of the barrel” for our funding needs. We also thank our teachers and staff, local government units, members of the Education Forum, NGOs, CSOs and the private sector for their valuable contributions in our continuous preparation for the opening of classes.
Kobe Bryant to Cover 'NBA 2K21'
The five-time NBA champion joins New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard as the trio of sports stars honored by the franchise.
Kobe Bryant will join the roster of cover athletes for NBA 2K21, the next iteration of the top selling basketball franchise, publisher 2K Games revealed Thursday.
The former Los Angeles Laker, who died Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash with 13-year-old daughter Gianna, joins New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard as the trio of cover athletes.
"Each of our cover athletes represent different eras of the game of basketball — Damian Lillard dominates the court today, Zion Williamson is a standard bearer for the next generation of NBA superstar, and what more could be said about Kobe?" Alfie Brody, vp global marketing for NBA 2K said in a statement. "Three athletes representing the current, future and storied history of the game."
He continued, "Today’s exciting announcement is just the first of many for NBA 2K21; it’s going to be a huge year for basketball fans and NBA 2K gamers."
Bryant, a five-time NBA champion for the Lakers, was previously the cover athlete for NBA 2K10 and NBA 2K17. He will have his career and legacy celebrated in the Mamba Forever Edition of NBA 2K21 that will feature two custom covers and will be available on both current-generation and next-gen consoles.
The covers will honor the span of Bryant's career, from his days wearing the No. 8 Lakers jersey to the night of his final NBA game at the Staples Center in 2016.
"NBA 2K21 is a monumental leap forward for the franchise,” stated Greg Thomas, president of visual concepts at 2K. "We’re combining all of our experience and development expertise to craft the best game possible and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. We are building the game from the ground up to take full advantage of next-gen power and technology."
There will be more announcements regarding 2K21 in the coming months, including first looks at new gameplay.
NBA 2K21 drops Sept. 4 on PS4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One and will become available on PS5 and Xbox Series X upon their holiday season launch.
GMA’s Affordabox ‘selling like hot pandesal’
DOMINANT NETWORK With ABS-CBN off the air, a path has been cleared for GMA and other rival networks.
Television giant GMA Network Inc.’s newly launched digital TV product is seeing a surge in sales while its main rival ABS-CBN remains shut from the airwaves by the Philippine government.
During the company’s annual meeting on Friday, GMA chair and CEO Felipe Gozon told shareholders its Affordabox was “selling like hot pandesal” although he did not provide any figures.
“We are overshooting our targets,” Gozon said on Friday. “Just this morning, I have a request to increase the number of boxes to be purchased.”
GMA said in a separate statement that it had initially planned to sell 600,000 Affordabox units, a plug-and-play device that connects to an analog TV set and allows it to receive digital broadcasts.
The shareholders’ meeting comes amid a major structural change in the media landscape.
ABS-CBN was denied last Friday a broadcast franchise by lawmakers, sealing GMA’s dominance in TV with an estimated market share of about 63 percent. Without its franchise, ABS-CBN has started the mass layoff of workers and the collapse of various business divisions across the country.
Asked by a shareholder about his views on ABS-CBN’s fate, Gozon said “I prefer not to comment.”
Broadcast giants like GMA derive most of their earnings from advertising on free-to-air TV. The shift to digital, however, is mandated by the Philippine government, which plans to shut down prevailing analog TV by 2023.
GMA’s Affordabox was in response to this policy. But it is a latecomer, having been launched late last month while ABS-CBN’s TVplus entered the market in 2015.
ABS-CBN said it had sold about nine million TVplus devices to date. Those devices can also capture GMA’s digital TV channels.
Gozon on Friday said they plan to launch three more digital TV channels, some within the year. The company has also priced the Affordabox at 40-percent less than the TVplus and with extra features such as video recording to lure buyers.
For regular TV, Gozon said they would gradually add more current content. Like other broadcasters, the company was forced to air reruns due to movement restrictions when strict lockdowns were imposed throughout the country to slow the spread of the new coronavirus disease.
GMA Network’s first quarter earnings fell 19 percent to P583.4 million while revenues hit P3.25 billion, down 7 percent. This was mainly due to the absence of political-related advertising boosted earnings last year.
@PatrickDG
