Spotlight Philippines is an informative blog about everything Filipino - music, lifestyle, entertainment, sports, science, technology, politics, religion, business, history, and local and worldwide news about the nation. It seeks to re-echo current events in and out of the Philippines.
OPM artists, as well as the media, have began using their influence to campaign for an informed election and to call for change in the mindset of some by choosing to vote wisely.
Here are some of the influential videos currently circulating the web and gathering positive remarks.
Who's got no date this Valentines? Couldn't this little one make every single woman or girl (and even taken) happy? Watch the video of the cutest Valentine's surprise I've seen online!
Nokia Lumia 820 smartphone handsets will now be out in the market through select Nokia stores nationwide. With white, red and black colors available, the Lumia 820 units will be priced an SRP of 18,990 Php.
In a few months time, new leaders will be elected in highly contested seats from the municipal and city council members to the Senate and House of Representatives positions. New movers of people, new headers of change, new voices of the majority - they will be, at a defined period of time, here. And you, the public, will be asked of your support.
Amid all the campaigning, what stays in mind in some of us are not the promises (probably because "we're tired of all that..."), but the jingles (music), the campaign paraphernalia, and overall, the campaign styles and strategies that make every campaign period memorable.
Do you still remember one candidate's jingle of "Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura?" Do you still find it funny nostalgic whenever you view videos of past senatorial candidates in their united stands and startlingly awesome mnemonics? Well, I do.
So starting today, I will be listing down some of the campaign movements I saw whenever I ride from place to place. May I also ask my fellow readers to share your thoughts and the campaign strategies, movements and styles that you've seen our candidates have planned well ahead of time (I hope so).
1.the EPAL (trapo) style - Well, of course, there hasn't been any positive development yet with all the negative exposure that has been cast on these EPAL politicians who have already started subtle (though very obvious) campaigns a long, long time ago through their "Welcome to __________! Mabuhay!" tarpaulins with their names having fonts bigger than their "inspirational" message and photos largely eating up the space which should have been allotted for more substance.
2. the MMK (drama anthology) style- Some big, wise men of ours began branding themselves to the people by telling their true-to-life stories. There's nothing wrong that I see in it (as long as the story has not been exaggerated nor been faked).
3. the PAGTITIPON style - Usually done at the start of the campaign period, this campaign style has caused so much traffic especially along normally congested highways and passes. Irked and angered by such delay, public vehicle passengers try to calm themselves and sometimes rethink if they should vote for them or not.
4. the FIESTA style- I saw this while I was cruising the polluted lanes of Taft. One camp hired a rondalla band (complete with a majorette) to attract passersby and let them see that someone's sincerely running for a seat with all the sweet music it employs in the air defied by the beeping of jeepneys and buses. Well played.
5. the PA-ISSUE style - Bright and witty running mates do this to attack others while raising up their popularity status by saying that some threats of possible defamation have been discovered and that when asked of any evidences pointing to it, keeps mum . True or not, the performances of both the threatened and the threat-maker (noisy one) make this style very effective.
6. the CELEBRITY DUO style - One thing I learned about ensuring a win in politics, may it be for that reason or for not what you think it is, is to make sure you win the public's heart by falling in love with a cute, like-able personality. Hence, high-profile marriages as the election is approaching are a possibility.
7. the ROAM AROUND CONVOY style - Not the candidates themselves who travel long distances, but hired driver-supporters in various vehicle types with signages of a NUMBER and the party-lists they represent, are what describe this style which provides more time and space to influence the public and make them aware of who they are fighting for and representing.
8. the FLYING BALLOONS style - I have yet to see this one. Balloon-aided tarpaulins asking candidate support should be mainstream.
Do you know of any other campaign strategy? Comment it down below and see it posted here.
Are you a registered voter in the forthcoming 2013 PH general election? Not sure if you are? Find out if you are in the voters list by visiting the Precinct Finder Form.
Upon clicking the link, you will be led to a page showing the image below:
All you need to do is key in your name and birthday details. Then, click on the Search button; a dialogue box will pop out asking you to continue. You will then be directed to another page.
What you see above are the details of your registry as a voter. Problems may arise if you have not printed your voters ID yet, so it's best that you check out the site to see if you could vote in order to avoid any hassle/inconvenience on the day of the Philippine midterm elections, dubbed as Halalan 2013.
A presentation of Prof. Alving Ang, an Economics professor in University of Santo Tomas (UST), during a recently held economic and sustainability oriented forum revealed that 25% or 1 in every 4 jobs in the Philippines cannot be filled due to competency issues.
Most of these competency-related unfilled vacancies are found in Metro Manila at 80% of total vacant positions contributed by the quality of the graduates who enter the labor force.
Ang further discussed how the Philippines can sustain its phenomenal 6.6% growth in 2012 given the rising underemployment rate, which he attributed to competency issues hounding elementary and high school teachers.
The top 12 jobs that have remained unfilled in one year nationwide are:
Transport and Communications Specialist
Mechanical engineers
Doctors
Production and operation managers
Accountants and auditors
Human Resources managers
Production supervisors
Geologists
Electrical engineers
Electronics and Communications engineers
Chemical engineers
Pharmacists
The list of hard-to-fill jobs in Metro Manila is as follows:
The embassy of the United Kingdom (UK) in Manila has said it will not tolerate anyone who would attempt to enter the country by using illegal means.
This is the reason why the British Embassy (Manila) warned all visa applicants against submitting fake documents. Those who will violate the rule can be banned from UK or filed with criminal charges.
Ed Mackie, the Regional Manager of UK Border Agency (UKBA), said, “The use of fraudulent or forged documents should be---there’s absolutely zero tolerance from us on this. If we find people submitting documents that are forged or fraudulent or they haven’t disclosed full facts to us, we will not only refuse their application, they then risk a ban of 10 years from the UK if they make a subsequent application.”
Other consequences of processing fake documents for UK visa applications include:
be banned from entering the UK for 10 years
be removed from the UK, if you are already here
be charged with a crime, which could lead to a prison sentence or a fine
receive a permanent record of fraud on the UK Border Agency database
Better comply than never ever get the chance to come to UK ever.
Based from the last 5-year data it possesses, the Bureau of Local Employment has released the top 10 highest paying jobs in the Philippines. Leading i the top paid employees list are art directors and geologists.
Art directors earned an average of P69,286 per month, while geologists edged closer with P64,889. The other 8 top-paying PH jobs are: aircraft pilot/navigator/flight engineer (P57,789), mining/metallurgical engineer (P55,638), computer programmer (P43,573), systems analyst/designer (P42,112), production supervisor/general foreman (P36,133), actuarian (P35,480), call center representative/customer service associate (P35,424), and statistician (P35,010).
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said on Friday (February 8) that graduating "high school students, and the seniors following them should realize this early the significance of making wise and excellent career decisions."
"I also advice them to refrain from choosing courses based on what's in vogue or fashionable, or, to use the popular social lingo of the youth, what's 'trending' and popular," she added.
It could, however, be noted that not all of these high salaries are obtained upon entry level. Most of these take a lot of years of experience before being qualified (e.g. production supervisor and geologist), while others require a big amount of initial investment (e.g. aircraft pilot/flight engineer).
Furthermore, it seems questionable as to why medical (doctor), political (lawyer/judge), entertainment (network talents) and managerial/executive (CEO/VP/CFO) positions did not get into the list of highest paying jobs in the Philippines.
The annual 55th Grammy Awards 2013 has now awarded top caliber and highly excellent talents in the international music industry
Gotye took home the Record of the Year award for international hit "Somebody that I Used to Know". Newcomer Fun enjoyed two highly esteemed recognitions, one for bagging the title the Best New Artist and another for bringing in the Song of the Year for "We Are Young".
Getty Images
The list of the winners of the Grammy Awards 2013 are as follows:
Record of the Year: "Somebody that I Used to Know" - Gotye
Song of the Year: “We Are Young” - Fun featuring Janelle Monáe
Best New Artist: Fun
Best Pop Solo Performance: “Set Fire to the Rain” (Live) – Adele
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Somebody That I Used to Know” - Gotye featuring Kimbra
Best Pop Instrumental Album: Impressions – Chris Botti
Best Pop Vocal Album: Stronger – Kelly Clarkson
Best Dance Recording: “Bangarang” – Skrillex & Sirah
Best Dance/Electronica Album: Bangarang – Skrillex
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Kisses on the Bottom – Paul McCartney
Best Rock Performance: “Lonely Boy” – The Black Keys
Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance: “Love Bites (So Do I)” – Halestorm
Best Rock Song: “Lonely Boy” - The Black Keys
Best Rock Album: El Camino – The Black Keys
Best Alternative Music Album: Making Mirrors – Gotye
Best R&B Performance: “Climax” – Usher
Best Traditional R&B Performance: “Love on Top” – Beyoncé
Best R&B Song: “Adorn” - Miguel Pimentel
Best Urban Contemporary Album - Channel Orange – Frank Ocean
Best R&B Album: Black Radio – Robert Glasper Experiment
Best Rap Performance: “Ni**as in Paris” – Jay-Z & Kanye West
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: “No Church in the Wild” – Jay-Z and Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean & The-Dream
Best Rap Song: “Ni**as In Paris”
Best Rap Album: Take Care – Drake
Best Country Solo Performance: “Blown Away” - Carrie Underwood
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “Pontoon” – Little Big Town
Best Country Song: “Blown Away” - Carrie Underwood
Best Country Album: Uncaged – Zac Brown Band
Best New Age Album: Echoes of Love – Omar Akram
Best Improvised Jazz Solo: “Hot House” – Gary Burton & Chick Corea
Best Jazz Vocal Album: Radio Music Society – Esperanza Spalding
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Unity Band – Pat Metheny Unity Band
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You) – Arturo Sandoval
Best Latin Jazz Album: ¡Ritmo! – The Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band
Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance: “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)” – Matt Redman
Best Gospel Song: “Go Get It” - Mary Mary
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song: “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)” - Matt Redman; “Your Presence Is Heaven” - Israel & New Breed
Best Gospel Album: Gravity – Lecrae
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: Eye on It – TobyMac
Best Latin Pop Album: MTV Unplugged: Deluxe Edition – Juanes
Best Latin Rock Urban or Alternative Album: Imaginaries – Quetzal
Best Regional Mexican Album (Including Tejano): Pecados y Milagros – Lila Downs
Best Tropical Latin Album: Retro – Marlow Rosado Y La Riqueña
Best Americana Album: Slipstream – Bonnie Raitt
Best Bluegrass Album: Nobody Knows You – Steep Canyon Rangers
Best Blues Album
Best Folk Album
Best Regional Roots Music Album
Best Reggae Album: Rebirth – Jimmy Cliff
Best World Music Album: The Living Room Sessions Part 1 – Ravi Shankar
Best Children’s Album: Can You Canoe? – The Okee Dokee Brothers
Best Spoken Word Album: Society's Child: My Autobiography – Janis Ian
Best Comedy Album: Blow Your Pants Off – Jimmy Fallon
Best Musical Theater Album: Once: A New Musical – Original Broadway Cast Recording
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: Midnight In Paris – Various Artists
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Best Song Written for Visual Media: “Safe & Sound” (Taylor Swift Featuring The Civil Wars, from the movie ‘The Hunger Games’)
Best Instrumental Composition: “Mozart Goes Dancing” - Chick Corea & Gary Burton
Best Instrumental Arrangement: “How About You”- Gil Evans Project
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): “City Of Roses” - Esperanza Spalding
Best Recording Package: Biophilia - Björk
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: Woody At 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection - Woody Guthrie
Best Album Notes: Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles - Ray Charles
Best Historical Album: The Smile Sessions (Deluxe Box Set) - The Beach Boys
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: The Goat Rodeo Sessions - Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile
Best Surround Sound Album: Modern Cool - Patricia Barber
Best Engineered Album, Classical: Life & Breath - Charles Bruffy & Kansas City Chorale
Producer of the Year, Classical: Blanton Alspaugh
Best Orchestral Performance: “Adams: Harmonielehre & Short Ride In A Fast Machine” - San Francisco Symphony
Best Opera Recording: “Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen” - The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus
Best Choral Performance: “Life & Breath – Choral Works By René Clausen” - Matthew Gladden, Lindsey Lang, Rebecca Lloyd, Sarah Tannehill & Pamela Williamson; Kansas City Chorale
Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: “Meanwhile” – Eighth Blackbird
Best Classical Instrumental Solo: “Kurtág & Ligeti: Music For Viola” - Kim Kashkashian
Best Classical Vocal Solo: “Poèmes” - Alan Gilbert & Seiji Ozawa; Orchestre National De France & Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France
Best Classical Compendium: Penderecki: Fonogrammi; Horn Concerto; Partita; The Awakening Of Jacob; Anaklasis
Best Classical Contemporary Composition: “Meanwhile - Incidental Music To Imaginary Puppet Plays” - Eighth Blackbird
Best Short Form Music Video: “We Found Love” – Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
Best Long Form Music Video: Big Easy Express - Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe, Magnetic Zeros & Old Crow Medicine Show
Special Merit Awards
MusiCares Person of the Year: Bruce Springsteen
President’s Merit Award: L.A. Reid
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Grammy Trustees Award
Technical Grammy Award
Hosted by LL Cool J for the second time around, the 55th Grammy Awards 2013 was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 10. It was broadcast live on CBS.
PH banks warn all automated teller machine (ATM) users to stay alert and curious every time they withdraw money in ATMs by inserting their bank cards. The alert has been raised upon discovery that an international syndicate has successfully siphoned money from affected bank accounts through card duplication and pin (personal identification number) capture.
The said "card-skimming" operation, which adapted sophisticated technology, started in 2011 and reached highs in the end of 2012.
"The syndicate surreptitiously installs card readers on ATM machines, just on top of the slot where you (insert) your card. To the untrained eye, you will think this is just part of the machine," BDO Unibank President Nestor Tan said.
"At the same time, they install minute cameras on top which records the client's keystrokes when he enters his PIN. Within a few hours, they can have a duplicate card and withdraw money from your account," he added.
Currently, banks have installed fraud detection inhibitors which appear in the form of green plastic device. These further disallow insertion of card readers.
According to Mike Bernabe, Expressnet VP for Operations, the ATM card scammers are said to have originated from Taiwan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Bulgaria.
