Young PH Weightlifters brings home 25 medals

Young PH weightlifters capture 25 medals in Asian Championships

Story by Aric John Sy Cua
The Manila Times
25 December 2024

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine national weightlifting team ended its campaign at the 2024 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships, taking home 25 medals, five of which were gold.

They also took home 10 silver and 10 bronze medals.

The Philippine national weightlifting team PILIPINAS WEIGHTLIFTING FB PAGE

Aldrin Colonia and Jhodie Peralta won three gold medals combined. Colonia won the country's first two gold medals in the men's 49 kilogram youth division in the snatch (84 kg) and the total lift (184 kg), while Peralta got her gold medals in the women's 55 kg youth division through the snatch (84 kg) and the total lift (184 kg).

Both of them each had a silver medal in their respective events, with Peralta at the clean and jerk and Colonia at the snatch, losing out the gold to fellow Filipino Eron Bores, who lifted at 97 kg, but did not finish the event.

Meanwhile, at the men's 55 kg youth division, Prince Keil Delos Santos captured three silver medals across all categories, lifting 110 kg in the snatch and 132 kg in the clean and jerk, with a total of 242 kg.

Delos Santos also clinched three bronze medals at the men's 55 kg youth division, lifting the same exact numbers he had in the youth division.

In the women's 40 kg youth division, Althea Bacaro won two silver and a bronze, lifting at 55 kg in the snatch to take silver and 73 kg in the clean and jerk for bronze, enough for a total lift of 128 kg to give her the silver medal.

Other medalists at the event were Rosalinda Faustino (2 bronze medals, women's 49 kg youth division), Alexsandra Ann Diaz (2 bronze medals, women's 45 kg youth division), Princess Jay Ann Diaz (bronze in snatch, women's 40 kg youth division), Rose Jean Ramos (silver in snatch, women's 45 kg junior division), and Angeline Colonia (1 bronze, 1 silver, women's 45 kg junior division).

The 2024 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships took place from December 19-25 in Doha, Qatar.

The winning Filipino architectural design in airport industry

Modern PH sensibility gifted to the world

Story by Jovi Miroy
The Manila Times
24 December 2024

THE 2024 TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards-Asia hailed Clark International Airport (CRK) as the International Airport of the Year–Philippines last Nov. 26 in Singapore. The award is given for excellence in travel services and transformative travel experiences.

The Manila Times took this as an opportunity to sit down and speak with the architect, Royal Pineda, whose design instigates innovation in the airport's services.

Inspired by the beautiful mountains of Zambales, the roofs mimic the landscape; the terminal gateways evoke the sprawl and repetition of the peaks. The design is driven by nature and culture as the floor follows the patterns of lahar flowing down the Sacobia River as well as the lanterns of Pampanga.

The intention was to give a sense of ownership and pride to the locals who will maintain the airport. For Pineda, a government building must amplify the pride of the citizens, Pampangueños and the Filipino community. In hewing close to the Zambales countryside, the design was simultaneously Filipino and international.

"We wanted an idea that was happening globally," said Pineda. "It must be universal and relatable to many, a modern Filipino sensibility we can offer to the world."

This gift to the larger international community lay in how the design solved tropical architectural problems. He gave as an example the use of lahar plaster: "Since it is organic, even when it ages, a simple lahar plaster is always beautiful. It can be used in residences. It is at once Filipino and modern."

A core principle in his practice is keeping the narrative simple and legible. Pineda believes design can change the country exponentially when it becomes basic, especially in government infrastructures. Design as dreaming for the many is one reason Pineda strives to create public spaces like airports and stadiums.

For him it is a failure in imagination if a government-funded building simply copies Western or classical architecture without providing solutions rooted in our geography and climate, and does not make sense to the majority of Filipinos.

Working with government

Something to look forward to is how the Clark International Airport will respond to the fact that going abroad is a family and barangay affair for Filipinos. He revealed that a village of wishers and greeters area would be built in the next phase: "It pains me to see the people behind the grills in NAIA 1. That shed is not a decent venue to wait for a balikbayan."

Instead, he envisions a park with appropriate dining spaces catering to a diverse clientele. For example, travelers may still eat in the "jeepneys," but at least they can wish their friends goodbye or meet them in a landscaped garden. Soon through this area, travelers will alight from the train that connects the airport to Metro Manila.

Pineda believes that modern Filipino design is more than using the functional form of a hangar or adopting indigenous forms like the "bahay kubo" or "bahay na bato." The triangular and pitched roofs, which make water run off faster, address the profuse rains in the tropics. "We needed to address the 250-kilometer speed of wind, the earthquakes, the heat."

One important design consideration is the notoriety of government spaces for not being well-maintained. Countering this perception, the airport exhibits open ceilings for easy detection and mending of leaks.

"Airport technology is fast moving. Having an open ceiling gives you more room to upgrade," said Pineda.

Rather than being daunted by the challenges, Pineda is energized to work with the government. He leads a growing movement that holds that public and civic spaces need not be aesthetically challenged.

Pineda said that the government must adopt what he calls "practical luxury," which does not intend to build expensive spaces only for the rich. By "luxury," he means a better way of living through design. If properly conceived, public spaces will address people's problems at less cost.

He wants to build not only smart and sustainable cities but also modern Filipino ones, which will boast iconic buildings and structures that transform and make lives better. The Clark International Airport is a herald of things to come.

Filipino ChatGPT in the making

The Philippines is creating a ChatGPT rival that speaks Filipino and Taglish

ITanong will be a local version of ChatGPT, its developers say, built with considerably fewer resources.

By Angel Martinez

Rest of the World
23 December 2024 

Manila - ChatGPT impressed millions of internet users when it was first launched in December 2022. To Filipino Elmer Peramo, though, it felt familiar. After typing in some prompts and seeing the artificial intelligence chatbot’s responses, he noticed the technology was similar to a project he’d been working on with his team at the Advanced Science and Technology Institute, a government agency. 

The project, iTanong, is like a local version of ChatGPT, Peramo told Rest of World. Through a web page, users can ask questions in English or Filipino, and receive AI-generated responses. It was conceived in 2017 — but at the time, Peramo and his 12-person team lacked the infrastructure and resources to build it. They plan to launch it next year.

Unlike search engines or chatbots, iTanong draws from both publicly available information and government databases holding private information. On top of doing everything a Google search or ChatGPT prompt can, Filipinos can use the program to apply to welfare programs, track benefit payments, or locate evacuation sites during a natural disaster, said Peramo. 

“Through iTanong, we aim to level the playing field and democratize access to information,” he said.

Before being released to the public, iTanong will be deployed in government agencies, where it will serve as a replacement for the Citizen’s Charter, a document in the lobby of every government office in the Philippines that details the office’s policies. While the Citizen’s Charter is only updated once a year, iTanong can be updated as needed, Peramo said.

That would be handy for Bianca Aguilar, a product designer who’s looking for a new job. ITanong would be a “godsend” in helping with the laborious and often complicated pre-employment requirements like applying for a tax identification number, a health insurance ID, and police clearance, she told Rest of World. 

“Navigating admin stuff like government services is still very confusing, so that’s one way I can see iTanong being helpful,” she said. It also helps that she can ask questions and receive information in Filipino, she added.

Only 55% of Filipinos say they can speak English fluently. ChatGPT is able to make grammatically correct sentences in the language, but its responses are not always conversational or natural enough for a Filipino speaker to understand easily. 

“It still struggles with correct pronunciation and I’m not sure it works well with our language,” Aguilar said. 

Popular large language models, such as OpenAI’s GPT, Google’s Gemini, and Meta’s Llama, are largely trained in English, excluding billions of people who speak languages that are not commonly found online.

“Minority languages and dialects, particularly those with smaller speaker populations, are often left out,” Nuurrianti Jalli, an assistant professor at Oklahoma State University’s media school, told Rest of World. “This exclusion stems from the lack of digital representation and resources dedicated to these languages.” 

Filipino is considered a low-resource language in the world of natural language processing, meaning there is only a small amount of Filipino data available to train AI systems. To train iTanong, Peramo’s team draws from open-source data sets from the Common Crawl and Project Gutenberg. This material isn’t enough, though, so they are also manually training the model. 

“We’ve resorted to using synthetically generated data, meaning we think of the common questions that the user would ask the system,” Peramo said. 

The Philippines ranks first globally in terms of AI interest, measured by monthly search volumes per 100,000 people. But implementation is uneven due to a glaring lack in infrastructure like data centers, high-speed internet connectivity, and cybersecurity measures. Only 22% of organizations in the country consider themselves fully prepared to use the emerging technology.

This is on top of the 20 million Filipinos who remain internet-poor: “Those in rural areas face barriers such as limited internet connectivity, lack of access to education, and even lower awareness of AI benefits,” Dominic Ligot, a data analyst and AI researcher, told Rest of World. “This will make it difficult for them to engage with AI technologies compared to urban centers like Metro Manila.” 

Elsewhere in the region, AI is being more rapidly deployed. Singapore ranks third in the world — behind only the U.S. and China — in terms of AI investment, innovation, and implementation. Several firms in Indonesia are working on LLMs to preserve their local languages, while in Malaysia, the government is backing a new LLM in Bahasa Malaysia.

ITanong’s team is working alongside other research and development institutes within the Department of Science and Technology to advance the country’s AI implementation. For instance, Project Reiinn hopes to provide local internet connectivity and tablets to underresourced and underserved areas. Another project will deploy regional “virtual hubs,” or help centers for people with little AI knowledge.

ITanong is known primarily within academic and research circles. To achieve widespread adoption, collaboration between the government, industry, and educational institutions is needed, Ligot said.

“There must be a focus on enhancing digital literacy programs, improving internet access nationwide, and also ensuring ethical standards are upheld,” he said. Users also have a responsibility to “deepen their understanding and literacy of what AI is and what it can do for them.”

On iTanong, the plan is to add other local languages like Cebuano, Ilocano, and Hiligaynon by 2026, Peramo said. The platform will be available on mobile phones, and users will also be able record themselves asking questions rather than typing them out. But progress is slower than they hoped for, he said. 

PH is Mister Universe 4th runner-up

PH bet Markki Stroem finishes 4th runner-up in Mister Universe 2024, Ireland bags title

GMA Integrated News 
23 December 2024

Philippine bet Markki Stroem ended his Mister Universe 2024 journey as the fourth runner-up! 

On Instagram, the Filipino-Norwegian actor and singer shared some snaps of himself wearing his fourth runner-up sash during the pageant’s coronation night in Los Angeles, California. 

“What a journey," he exclaimed, tagging the pageant tilt. "Ended up as 4th runner up! Not bad,” Markki wrote.

“Happy to have represented the ‘Pearl of the Orient,’ the Philippines! I am so deeply sorry, I guess, sometimes nerves take over,” he said. 

The 37-year-old expressed his gratitude to his designers and to the Filipino people who supported him on his journey. 

“Maraming salamat Pilipinas! Maraming salamat sa suporta na binigay niyo sakin! Nakakataba ng puso! Now time for a little well deserved rest,” said Markki, who also bagged the Best in National Costume and Best in Talent awards. 

During the national costume competition, Markki reimagined the Tikbalang, a creature from Philippine folklore with his black inabel bahag ensemble designed by Filipino fashion designer Patrick Isorena.

Meanwhile, Patrick Callahan of Ireland was crowned the first ever Mister Universe winner. 

Markki, whose real name is Marcello Angelo Ledesma Strøm, flew to the United States last week for the Mister Universe 2024. 

Before joining the pageant, Markki appeared in the Netflix film "Lolo and the Kid" with Euwenn Mikaell and Joel Torre.

He also played the role of Christian in the 2022 run of the musical play "Mula sa Buwan" in its 2022 run.

2 Pinoy restaurants make it world's iconic restaurants list

2 Pinoy restaurants make it world's iconic restaurants list 

Aric John Sy Cua
The Manila Times 
23 December 2024

MANILA, Philippines —Two Filipino restaurants made the list among the world's most iconic restaurants by food and restaurant guide Taste Atlas.

In its top 100 list, Taste Atlas ranked The Aristocrat, which originated at Roxas Boulevard in Manila, in 73rd place and Malate's Cafe Adriatico, 90th on the list.

In 2023, the Aristocrat was also named among the 150 Most Legendary Restaurants in the World by Taste Atlas, ranking 108th.

Founded in 1936, The Aristocrat is known for its boneless chicken barbecue and Lumpiang Shanghai.

"The Legend is now also an Icon!" the restaurant said on its Facebook page on Monday.

"We rose the ranks to 73rd in this year's 100 Most Iconic Restaurants in the World according to TasteAtlas! We couldn't have done this without you," it added.

Café Adriatico on the other hand, is known for its adobo and its pancit palabok, which Taste Atlas named among its most iconic dishes.

Occupying the top spot is the Figlmüller restaurant in Vienna, Austria, known for its signature Wiener schnitzel dish.

PH will be hosting the Junior World Artistic Gymnastics in 2025

Philippines to host 2025 Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

Joey Villar  
Philstar.com
December 21, 2024 

MANILA, Philippines -- Philippine gymnastics have never ceased to amaze the country.

After delivering a pair of Olympic medals in Paris this year courtesy of Carlos Yulo, the Gymnastics of the Philippines (GAP) delivered another piece of good news as it has won the bid to host the 2025 Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

“In July 12 to 21, we will have the Junior World Championships here in the Philippines with 93 countries participating,” said GAP president Cynthia Carrion on Saturday.

While the official venue hasn’t been determined yet, Carrion said there are high hopes the country could carve out another golden performance from another Yulo —Carlos' younger brother Karl Eldrew.

“Hopefully, Eldrew Yulo will win the gold and make the Philippines proud again,” she said.

Interestingly, another major international event will be staged next year in Southeast Asian -- the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships set in October in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Already, the country is looking forward to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where it is eyeing to replicate, if not eclipse, its two-gold performance in Paris courtesy of Caloy Yulo’s magnificence.

Carrion is also hoping there will be two Yulo’s competing in LA.

“That’s our prayers, to have both of them qualify in the next Olympics,” she said.

Carrion said it will be a busy year for Yulo as there will be the World Championship, World Cup, Southeast Asian Games and Asian Championships apart from training camps in the United States, Spain, Korea, Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom.

“GAP will continue our journey to get more gold medals for our country. This year will be full of activities and events that’s why our financial support should be solid,” she said.

Engkanto: the beer brand taking on the world

Welcome to Engkanto, the Filipino beer brand taking on the world

By Cody Profaca

Drinks Trade (Australia)

Dec. 20, 2024

Since launching in 2017, Philippine beer brand Engkanto Brewery has been making waves globally, shining a spotlight on Filipino craftsmanship in the world of beer. This includes major accolades at both the World Beer Awards and the Australian International Beer Awards.

In May this year, Engkanto Brewery expanded beyond Asia for the first time, entering into the Australian market in partnership with importer 7000 Islands Drinks. One month later, it also entered into the US market.

According to Ricard Basora, Engkanto’s Managing Director, the recent accolades and global recognition has positioned Engkanto up for continued growth.

“Who would’ve thought that a small craft brewery in the Philippines can reach the highest level in brewing the World’s Best Beer, right?” he said.

“The team’s putting in amazing work while sticking to our roots: quality first. We’ve been winning awards for consecutive years, but we’re not stopping in making the best beers possible.”

Michael ‘MJ’ Jordan, Engkanto’s Brewmaster, added: “I'm super stoked and proud of this accomplishment. The fact we're using honey sourced from Baguio is so cool as it really lets the world know that we have top-class ingredients along with a talented team in our brewery.”

Included in the current Australian portfolio are three beers - Purple Ube Lager, Mano Nation Hazy IPA, and High Five Honey Ale - all of which are made from 100% natural raw materials sourced locally whenever possible.

The first of the range champions the ube purple yam, considered to be one of the most sought-after items in the Filipino cuisine.

The second release showcases the local carabao mangoes sourced from various fruit growing regions such as the island of Guimaras, the first Geographic Indication established in The Philippines.

The third release makes use of the raw honey sourced from apiaries in Baguio City known for tis subtle floral sweetness.

All three releases received bronze medals at this year’s Australian International Beer Awards, the largest annual beer competition in the world; while Engkanto High Five Honey Ale also clinched the title of World’s Best Beer in the Flavoured Honey and Maple Syrup category at the prestigious World Beer Awards in London. This solidifies Engkanto’s place as the most awarded craft beer brand from the Philippines.

Founder Ian Paradies says “Engkanto boldly presents a unique beer experience for beer drinkers.

“Our beers offer a unique experience with flavours rooted in Filipino heritage… with flavours from homegrown ingredients such as honey, mango, and ube,” he continued.

“We are excited to tell you that we are working on more native ingredients.”

The unique flavour profiles also make Engkanto well suited for food pairings. According to Siegrid Bacani, Founder of 7000 Islands Drinks, "it's a must: [This is] craft beer that is meant for pairing, which is what we are about at 7000 Islands."

Siegfrid Bacani recommends that the Honey Ale be paired with Filipino Lechon (Asian crispy skin roast pig), or a European-style pork hock; the Ube Lager with Filipino Kare-kare, a rich Malaysian Peanut Satay, or flavourful Indian Curries; and the Mango IPA with dishes such as fruit salads, ceviche, shrimp tacos, gorgonzola cheese, and buko pie.

When asked about its performance in its first seven months in Australia, Bacani says Engkanto's strong growth could be attributed to its uniqueness and pricepoint.

“Engkanto Brewery craft beers represent a premium imported beer option that is truly different on a retailer’s shelf and a venue’s menu,” he said.

This includes its positioning at “a price point that sits nicely between Japanese and Belgian beers,” as well as its strong poisitioning from a flavour trend perspective.

“As the Masterchef food trend spills over into beverages, Engkanto is bang on with a wide range of beer styles,” continued Bacani.

“Lager, Pilsner, Ale and Hazy IPA brewed with Ube, a distinctly Filipino staple that is the flavour trend of the year, and Guimaras Mangoes, which is the first region within the Philippines to receive an official geographical indication.”

As Filipino ingredients like ube and Guimaras mangoes take centre stage in the craft beer world, Engkanto Brewery promises more innovative brews in the future, carrying the spirit of the Philippines across borders.

“Personally, I can’t wait to get these Engkanto beers into our hospitality partner venues in 2025,” said Bacani.

Ricard Basora added: “For now, I just want to congratulate the Engkanto Team and share with the whole world that Filipino beers can be as good, if not better, than anything else.”

Since the successful launch of Engkanto, 7000 Islands Drinks has also added Destileria Barako and Bandoeng’22 to its growing portfolio, with the latter acquisition taking place earlier this month.

Explaining 7000 Islands, Bacani said: “I've always wanted to share with the world the flavours of my upbringing and what you'd find in our household food pantry; and [I’ve always] found aspects of our cuisine interesting, like how we balance the tastes of spicy, sour and umami in our food, and how this expresses differently when paired with beverages.”

Philippines ranks second in Asean stat race

Philippines ranks second in Asean stat race

Louella Desiderio

Philstar Global
16 December 2024

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines maintained its position as second in Southeast Asia in the World Bank’s Statistical Performance Indicators (SPI) for 2023.

The latest SPI showed the Philippines’ overall score improved to 85.2 from its 2022 score of 84, showing continued progress in strengthening the country’s statistical capacity.

This placed the Philippines second in Southeast Asia after Singapore, which got an overall score of 88.8.

The World Bank’s SPI measures the statistical performance of economies in terms of how well, how broadly and how frequently national statistical systems collect, produce and disseminate high-quality data in a publicly accessible manner.

The overall score is based on an assessment of the performance in five pillars such as use of data, the quality of data services, data products, the sources of information, as well as infrastructure.

In the data use pillar, the Philippines maintained its perfect score of 100.

In terms of data services, the country got a score of 92.7 last year, the same as in 2022.

The Philippines saw a slight improvement in the data products pillar as its score went up to 85.2 in 2023 from 84.8 in 2022.

In contrast, the country’s score in the data sources pillar declined to 83.1 in 2023 from 87.3 in the previous year.

As for data infrastructure, the Philippines’ score rose to 65 last year from 55 in 2022.

By looking at countries’ statistical systems, the World Bank’s goal is to improve development outcomes and track progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, aimed at carrying out actions to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet, as well as ensure health, justice and prosperity for all.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the 2023 SPI results provide insights for further improvements in the country’s statistical system.

“While the country excels in data use and services, addressing the challenges with the rest of the pillars will be crucial in ensuring sustained progress,” the PSA said.

2 Philippine startups recognized as Asia’s best innovators

2 Philippine startups recognized as Asia’s best innovators

Tyrone Jasper C. Piad
Inquirer.net
14 December 2024

Philippine startups continue to show what they can do to bring innovation to people’s lives—and their hard work is not left unnoticed.

At the latest Asia Technology Entrepreneurship Conference’s (ATEC) Startup Competition in Hong Kong this month, two Filipino enterprises were recognized as the region’s best innovators in their respective categories.

InvestEd, a financing platform that lends to students who need aid in paying tuition, won in the artificial intelligence and digital solutions category. The company employing a proprietary credit scoring algorithm extends loans to unbanked students, making financing accessible. It gets the students who are part of the socio-economic classes C, D, and E.

E-commerce enabler Packworks, meanwhile, emerged as the winner in the smart commerce and logistics category.

Packworks provides digital solutions to over 300,000 sari-sari stores so they can make their operations more efficient. Its suite of products include tools for pricing, inventory management, and sales tracking.

ATEC is the biggest alumni-led technology conference in Asia. The annual startup competition celebrates the excellence of enterprises that develop new and cutting-edge products.

In this year’s competition, the 40-member selection committee screened 106 applications, through which 32 semi-finalists were shortlisted.

A startup can join the competition after getting nomination from an alumni organization that is part of ATEC.

In this case, both InvestEd and Packworks were backed by the Harvard Club of the Philippines Global.

Last year, homegrown Mayani won the Emerging Market Solutions Impact Award. A social enterprise linking over 139,000 smallholder farmers to retail and commercial consumers, this startup has helped a lot of indigenous farmers in Zambales.

According to a study by local market research firm Uniquecorn Strategies, majority or 75 percent of the Philippine startups were keen on achieving profitability over growth to reduce dependency on investor funding.

More than half or 55 percent of the founders surveyed expect to become profitable within the next one to two years.

Next on the list of their priorities are customer experience and product development at 55 percent each.

Filipino music talents conquering the world

Filipino talents who came before Sofronio Vasquez in international talent shows

Story by Jerry Donato
Philstar Global
14 December 2024

MANILA, Philippines — Before the advent and emergence of reality TV singing and talent show formats from abroad, the Pinoy talent in this creative field and competition was witnessed in singing contests abroad.

Now Original Pilipino Music (OPM) icons such as Dulce and Ivy Violan (winning the grand prize at the 1988 Asia Pacific Singing Contest) and Regine Velasquez (also securing the top award at the 1989 Asia Pacific Singing Contest) represented the country.

Ivy also went on to perform at the Golden Kite World Song Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1989 and won the grand prize at the International Midnight Sun Song Festival in Finland in 1991.

Kuh Ledesma sang Till I Met in the 1989 Salem Music Awards show in London. According to a former entertainment writer, she was the first Filipino recipient of such an award.

All this partly contributed to the Filipinos’ reputation as a force to reckon with when it comes to singing competitions.

Around a bit more than two decades ago, most people around the globe got acquainted with talent programs like “Got Talent,” “Idol (‘Pop Idol’ and ‘American Idol’),” and “The X Factor.” They have watched and followed them ever since.

These shows have also been remade and produced in other nations and territories.

With Pinoys’ diaspora and migration worldwide, Filipinos, either full-blooded or of mixed race, would take a chance in joining any of these shows and showcase their innate knack for carrying a tune and conveying the song story.

As they commence their contest journeys, they get the support of Pinoys in their specific country and also back home.

Even if they’ve fully immersed in their new country, they are still tethered back home and represent what Pinoy is, resilient, hardworking, loving and talented, just to name a few traits.

Days ago, Sofronio Vasquez, a Pinoy now living in Utica, New York, did make Pinoys proud as the winner of “The Voice” USA Season 26.

His accomplishment is historic as the first Asian and Filipino to top such an American and international singing tilt. It’s also perhaps a proper time to crown a winner from the Philippines following a good number of contestants of Filipino lineage who had tried their luck in the previous editions of “The Voice” USA or in other similar competitions.

The win of Sofronio has made one recall contestants of Filipino ancestry that either came close to winning or were named a champion.

The list for this piece is, not in any way, comprehensive. The names of artists easily came to mind when this article was written.

The list was also based on available data and information online and virtually.

Marlisa Punzalan

Marlisa Punzalan is “The X Factor” Australia winner in 2014 and her audition song was Yesterday of The Beatles. Ronan Keating, an Irish singer-songwriter and lead vocalist of Boyzone, was Marlisa’s mentor.

Her Filipino parents from Bataan went to Australia and raised Marlisa in Sydney.

Cyrus Villanueva

Cyrus Villanueva, on the other hand, is the winner of “The X Factor” Australia in 2015. His dad is Filipino from Cotabato City, Philippines. The Villanuevas are from Wollongong, New South Wales.

In an interview with this paper back in 2016, Cyrus shared about his three unforgettable performances in the talent show, “I think one of my favorite memories is the song Dancing On My Own. That was the song I sang at the boot camp. I was on the piano... Jealous, I love piano ballad. I love just the piano, I love just the voice. I love how raw a simple song like that is, how vulnerable you are. You know it’s just a best opportunity to tell the story. It’s just the piano and the voice. That was in the grand finals that I sang that.”

“I remember when (judge-mentor) Chris (Isaak) told me that was the song he chose for me, I was so happy. It was the most important time of the competition because I didn’t want to choose a terrible song. He chose an amazing song for me. It allowed me to kinda showcase what I love about performing — just the piano and just my voice,” added he. “Stone, the very first single I have ever released. It’s such a great song… To know that that was the first song that I heard myself on the radio, the first time I heard my voice on the radio was on that song, it was strange. It was weird.”

With Marlisa and Cyrus’ wins, the Pinoy talent had a back-to-back win in “The X Factor” Australia.

From Down Under, the singing talent of Filipinos was also showcased in “The X Factor” Asia and Europe.

Rose Fostanes

Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Rose Fostanes was named the winner of “The X Factor” Israel first edition. She performed If I Ain’t Got You, Sweet Dreams and My Way during the finals. Her rendition of the Shirley Bassey song, This is My Life, earned her to enter the audition phase. It helped her cruise the boot camps, quarter-finals, semifinals and finals.

She worked as a caregiver in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Bella Santiago

The professional singer in Malaysia, Bella Santiago, did a strong start in “The X Factor” Romania with a Jessie J cover (Bang Bang), and showed her performing skills, encompassing singing and dancing.

For the grand finals, she performed a mash-up of Beyoncé songs and claimed the top prize and title of “The X Factor” Romania winner.

The success of Pinoy talents continued in that part of the world with the championship wins of Justine Afante and Fil-Austrian Lukas Janisch in “The Voice Kids” UK (2020) and “The Voice Kids” Germany (2016), respectively. Her winning song was Listen of Beyoncé, while his were If I Ain’t Got You of Alicia Keys and When We Were Young of Adele.

Justine Afante, winner, The Voice Kids (UK) 2020

Lukas Janisch, winner, The Voice Kids (Germany) 2016

In “The American Idol,” Jasmine Trias and Jessica Sanchez were among the contestants who represented Pinoys. Jasmine from Hawaii reached the “The American Idol” Top 3 in its third season, while Jessica Sanchez of California was in the Top 2/runner-up for “The American Idol” 11th season.

Jasmine Trias, American Idol Top 3 (season 3 | 2004)

“The American Idol” journey of Jessica was extra unforgettable for her and fans when judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler decided to use their one “save” for the season. Thus, she was able to continue and reach the finale.

Jessica Sanchez, American Idol Top 2 (Season 11 |  2012)

Jessica took on Change Nothing, I Have Nothing, The Prayer in the final showdown. Jasmine, for the final round, performed All By Myself, Mr. Melody and Saving All My Love for You.

The Philippines was also well-represented in “Asia’s Got Talent” (with season one winner the shadow play dance group El Gamma Penumbra and grand finalists Gerphil Flores, DM-X Comvaleñoz, Neil Rey Garcia and Power Duo, to name some Pinoy talents).

With Sofronio’s win in “The Voice” USA season 26, Pinoy voices and talents continue to soar and be showcased in programs abroad.

Kudos also to Filipinos who have reached the audition and succeeding rounds of any talent competition and have proudly represented the country.

PH wins Miss International Tourism 2024

Mutya ng Pilipinas posts PH’s 6th Miss Tourism International win

Armin P. Adina
Inquirer.net
14 December 2024

Mutya ng Pilipinas Liana Barrido was crowned Miss Tourism International 2024 in a competition held in Malaysia on Friday night, Dec. 13, making her the Philippines’ sixth winner in the global tilt.

The Batangueña lass asserted the country’s dominance in the Malaysia-based international competition during the finale show held at the Sunway Resort Hotel, Bandar Sunway, in Selangor, Malaysia, that ended past midnight on Dec. 14.

Barrido, who inherited the Miss Tourism International crown from last year’s winner Tia Li Taveepanichpan of Thailand, received loud cheers for her answer in the competition’s final round of questioning after she elaborated on the topic “motivation.”

Asked how she defines success and what motivates her to achieve it, she responded: “As someone who finds her purpose through her weakness, I define success as overcoming the limitation. I used to be just a silent girl, but [as it turns] out, this limitation [made me] an empowered woman who has a purpose. Success is not the destination, it is the journey we take, the growth we experience, and the positive impact we leave [in this] world.”

Barrido bested 39 other aspirants from around the world for the Miss Tourism International title. She also received the “Miss Vitality” award during the final competition show.

Before Barrido, the Miss Tourism International crown also went to her fellow Mutya ng Pilipinas queens Peachy Manzano in 2000, the late Rizzini Alexis Gomez in 2012, Angeli Dione Gomez in 2013, Jannie Alipo-on in 2017, and Cyrille Payumo in 2019.

The Philippines remains the most successful country in the Miss Tourism International pageant, further widening its lead over Thailand’s three crown haul.

Barrido’s Miss Tourism International victory came just a week after her fellow Mutya ng Pilipinas queen Alyssa Redondo finished third in the 2024 Miss Intercontinental pageant in Egypt.

Three new Philippine Parks added to ASEAN list

Three Philippine Parks Make It on the ASEAN Heritage List

Leana Vibal
Spot.ph
12 December 2024

Good news! In 2024, three Philippine parks were officially recognized as part of the list of ASEAN Heritage Parks, a.k.a. areas of  "outstanding wilderness and biodiversity values."

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary, and Apo Reef Natural Park join 11 other Philippine parks on the ASEAN Heritage Park list. This makes the Philippines the country with the most entries on the list, comprising over 22% of the 64 parks recognized. 

What is an ASEAN Heritage Park?

ASEAN Heritage Parks are "protected areas of high conservation importance, preserving in total a complete spectrum of representative ecosystems of the ASEAN region."

Simply put, these parks are the best examples of the high-impact ecological zones in the region. More importantly, they have established significant sustainable efforts in protected area management and conservation. 

The list started in 1984 with only 11 areas included. It has since grown into 62 zones across Southeast Asia. 

Aside from the prestige of recognition and the validation that you're doing right by the environment, being on the ASEAN Heritage Park list does have its perks, especially for the park administrators and rangers who manage these spots. 

Areas included in the list become part of a network encouraging them to share best practices and experiences on protected area management and participate in capacity-building opportunities. Additionally, they increase their chances of partnering with international conservation partners and get assistance in enhancing their operations. 

Here are the three new ASEAN Heritage Parks from the Philippines:

Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary

The Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary (TIWS) is a group of islands in the Sulu Archipelago. This key marine biodiversity area is the first trans-frontier protected area for marine turtles in the world, covering waters in both Malaysia and the Philippines. 

Its claim to fame is that it is one of the few remaining major nesting areas for Green Sea Turtles in Southeast Asia. In the worldwide turtle nesting context, it's currently ranked 11. Yearly, especially during peak egg-laying season, over 80 to 100 Green Sea Turtles make their nests and release their eggs along the shores of its beaches. Many Hawksbill Turtles also lay their eggs in this area, albeit their numbers are smaller than the Green Sea Turtles. 

Aside from turtles, the area is known to be home to over 200 species of plants, including 10 mangrove species and 19 species of ferns. This rich foliage has resulted in at least 34 species of birds also calling TIWS their home. There are also a number of bat speceis, 12 reptiles, and about 281 terrestrial plant species have been reported.

Apo Reef Natural Park

Apo Reef Natural Park covers three islands in Occidental Mindoro with the Apo Reef being the largest of the tree.

Apo Reef is the biggest coral reef in the Philippines and ranks as the world’s second-largest connected reef system after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It covers an area of over 34 square kilometers and has two main reefs separated by a 30-meter-deep channel. The area is known to be home to at least 285 marine species, including the angelfish, butterflyfish, dolphins, and sea turtles. 

Aside from the underwater beauty of the Apo Reef Natural Park, there's also a lot to be proud of on land. The two other islands the marine park, Binangaan and Cayos del Bajo, are both known for their limestone structures and coralline formations. There are also a number of known bird species in the area.

Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park

Nestled within the Mount Talinis range in Negros Oriental, this 8,016-hectare is includes the crater lakes Balinsasayao and Danao, which are widely believed to have been formed by ancient volcanic activity.

The park ranks second only to Palawan in biodiversity, sheltering 427 critically endangered, endangered, and vulnerable species of plants and animals in its dense forests.

Beyond being highly biodiverse, the park is also a place for leisurely hikes, including treks to visit waterfalls and ponds within the reserve.

Aside from these three, two other ASEAN parks were added to the list. These are the Phou Xieng Thong National Protected Area and Nam Poui National Protected Area, both in Lao PDR (Laos). Together, these five newly designated areas contribute a collective 11.6 million hectares of legally gazetted protected areas representing terrestrial, marine, and wetland ecosystems.

Other parks in the Philippines named in the ASEAN Heritage Parks list are Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Mt. Inayawan Range Natural Park, Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park, Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park, Mts. Iglit-Baco National Park, Mts. Timpoong-Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument, Pasonanca Natural Park, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, and Mt. Apo Natural Park.

Sofronio Vasquez wins The Voice USA 2024

Sofronio Vasquez named ‘The Voice’ Season 26 winner

Anne Pasajol
INQUIRER.net 
11 December 2024

Filipino singer Sofronio Vasquez emerged as “The Voice” United States Season 26 winner, becoming the first-ever winner to have won the competition.

Vasquez bested the remaining four finalist at the two-night finale held on Dec. 9 and 10 (Dec. 10 and 11 in the Philippines).

During the first part of the final round, Vasquez, who is under Team Michael Bublé, sang Sia’s “Unstoppable” and “A Million Dreams” from “The Greatest Showman.”

Vasquez then shared the stage with his coach Bublé for the second part, performing a duet of “Who’s Lovin’ You” by The Jackson 5.

Shye, another contestant from Team Bublé, came second to Vasquez, while Sydney Sterlace from Team Gwen Stefani placed third. Danny Joseph from Team Reba McEntire took the fourth place, while Jeremy Beloate from Team Snoop Dogg earned the fifth place.

Prior to the finals, Vasquez sang his heart out to Elvis Presley’s “If I Can Dream” during the “The Voice” United States live show. He also performed a duet with Beloate, singing “Every Breath You Take” with the songwriter himself, Sting, playing the bass.

Vasquez, who is an alum of the local singing competition “Tawag ng Tanghalan,” was also a four-chair turner during the competition’s blind auditions.

PH advances in nuclear infrastructure development

IAEA: PH advances in nuclear infrastructure development

Power Philippines News
December 9, 2024

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded its review mission on the country’s nuclear power program, saying that the Philippines has already advanced a comprehensive nuclear law.

“The Philippines expanded the composition of its Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organization (NEPIO) to 24 organizations, and all sub-committees of NEPIO are actively engaged to implement relevant activities. This indicates the level of commitment of the Philippines to proceed with their nuclear power programme,” said IAEA Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section Technical Lead mission team leader Mehmet Ceyhan.

To support the Philippines’ infrastructure development, the mission team reviewed the country’s progress in implementing recommendations from the initial 2018 INIR mission. 

Using the Phase 1 criteria of the IAEA Milestones Approach, the assessment focused on determining the country’s preparedness to make an informed decision on pursuing a nuclear power program.

The mission acknowledged the Philippines’ progress in advancing its nuclear energy program, including the drafting of a comprehensive nuclear law, assessments in key areas such as human resources, regulatory frameworks, radiation protection, and waste management, as well as the development of related policies and strategies.

Despite these advancements, the team emphasized the importance of finalizing the country’s nuclear power strategy and conducting additional studies on the electrical grid, industrial participation, and national legislation to pave the way for future initiatives.

The Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) Missions are guided by the IAEA Milestones Approach, addressing 19 key infrastructure issues across three phases: consider, prepare, and construct, with milestones set at decide, contract, and commission/operate. 

These missions provide a platform for IAEA Member States to engage with international experts, fostering knowledge exchange and sharing best practices from global nuclear programs.

PH ranked 2nd most attractive developing economy for RE investment

PH ranked 2nd most attractive developing economy for RE investment

By Anna Leah Gonzales
Philippines News Agency
December 9, 2024

MANILA – The Philippines is the second most attractive developing economy for renewable energy investment, the 2024 Climatescope report by BloombergNEF (BNEF) said.

The Climatescope report evaluates clean energy progress and market attractiveness across 110 developing countries using 100 indicators.

Dagohoy Solar Power Farm in Bohol province. (Screenshot from Bohol-PIO video)

These nations account for nearly two-thirds of global clean energy output and 82 percent of the world’s population.

The country's latest ranking was an improvement from fourth place in 2023.

BNEF's report said the Philippines has a power score of 2.65, surpassing the Asia-Pacific regional average of 1.94.

In a statement Monday, the Department of Energy (DOE) said the improvement in ranking "reflects the growing confidence of the global community in our country’s commitment to clean energy transition and sustainable growth."

"This achievement underscores the effectiveness of the Philippines’ comprehensive renewable energy policies, which include auctions, net metering schemes, tax incentives, and an aggressive clean energy target of 35% renewable energy in the power mix by 2030," the DOE said.

"As the only emerging market in the Asia-Pacific region with all these mechanisms in place, we are paving the way for a more sustainable energy future, not only for our nation but as a model for the region," it added.

However, the DOE said there is a need to further accelerate renewable energy development to address the needs of the country.

"Significantly, while most of the renewable energy investment is domestic, we look forward to realizing the potential of increased foreign participation through recent reforms that allow 100 percent foreign equity in renewable energy projects," it said.

The DOE said the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is committed to driving renewable energy development, fostering innovation and creating an enabling environment for both local and international investors.

It added that the government will continue to harness the potential of the country’s natural resources.

"This recognition inspires the DOE to further intensify its efforts in achieving our renewable energy goals, ensuring that our nation remains a global beacon of progress in the energy transition," the DOE said. (PNA)

Philippine clinched Miss Intercontinental 2024 second runner-up

PH's Alyssa Marie Redondo is Miss Intercontinental 2024 2nd runner-up; Puerto Rico bags crown

By GMA Integrated News
December 8, 2024

Philippine bet Alyssa Marie Redondo is Miss Intercontinental 2024 second runner-up!

The Filipina beauty queen also bagged special awards including Best in Swimsuit and the Power of Beauty Special award, which gave her a spot in the final Top 7 during the pageant's coronation night held in Egypt on December 7.

On Instagram, Alyssa said she has nothing but a grateful heart for her pageantry journey. 

"It has been an incredible experience!" she said. "Beyond the crowns, I’m leaving with priceless friendships from around the world. All the hard work has truly paid off and I’m excited to see what the future holds."

According to the Filipina, finishing as the second runner-up is an "incredible achievement," as it was her first international competition.

Alyssa also thanked her pageant sisters for the memories they created together.

"I am so proud of all that we've accomplished together. I'm honored to have stood beside such inspiring, beautiful, and talented women," she wrote. "I'll cherish this experience forever!" 

Ending her post, she expressed gratitude to everyone who supported her in her journey.

"I'm beyond grateful for the support I've received throughout this journey. Each and every person on my team and all of my supporters are the reason I've come this far," Alyssa said.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico's Maria Cepero was crowned Miss Intercontinental 2024.

In the pageant's 52 years, there have been two Filipina winners so far: Karen Gallman in 2019 and Cinderella Faye Obeñita in 2021.