Day: June 4, 2023

Posted on

S. Korean baritone Kim Tae-han wins Queen Elisabeth Competition

South Korean baritone Kim Tae-han has won the Queen Elisabeth Competition for voice, becoming the first Asian male singer to win the coveted classical music contest held in Belgium.

Kim was named the first prize winner during an awards ceremony held in Brussels on Saturday (local time), which was broadcast live online.

He is the third South Korean singer to clinch the top prize following sopranos Hong Hae-ran in 2011 and Hwang Sumi in 2014.

Established in 1937, the competition named after the late Belgian queen is one of the three most prestigious contests for classical musicians, along with the International Chopin Piano Competition and the International Tchaikovsky Competition. The voice section was added in 1988.

Violinists, pianists, singers and cellists compete in a four-year cycle, and this year was the voice competition.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

Posted on

PBMM focused on helping ‘ordinary’ Filipinos

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. would want to be remembered for his dedication to improve the lives of even the most ordinary Filipinos. Whatever legacy he may leave behind would not matter as long as he succeeded in uplifting the lives of his countrymen, Marcos said in his vlog uploaded on his official Facebook page Saturday. “Kapag wala na ako, sana maalala ako na siya’y talagang tumulong sa pangkaraniwan na taong Pilipino (After my presidency, I hope I would be remembered for helping the ordinary Filipinos),” he said when asked about the legacy he wants to leave behind. Marcos said he is more focused on spending his term helping the Filipino people. “Hindi natin masyadong iniisip iyang legasiya na iyan. Dahil sa dami ng kailangan nating gawin eh trabaho lang muna. Kapag maganda naman ang ating magagawa, iyan ang magiging legasiya na (I am not thinking about my legacy. I will just focus on my job because I have lots of things to do. If I am able to do a good job, that will be my legacy),” he said. “Hindi naman dapat kailangang isipin na ginagawa ito para maalala ako. Ay, hindi. Ginagawa natin lahat para makabuti at makatulong sa taumbayan. Iyan ang aking legasiya (I am not doing this to be remembered. I am not doing that. I am doing everything to help and improve the lives of the people. That’s my legacy),” Marcos added. Marcos also invited the public to visit Malacañan Palace’s heritage sites to learn about the country’s rich history. Bahay Ugnayan Museum, Teus Mansion, and Goldenberg Mansion have been opened to the public. The Bahay Ugnayan features the sitting President, while the Teus Mansion showcases the vibrant and diverse history of the previous ones. “‘Yung Teus Mansion ay ang museo para sa mga nagdaang pangulo. Pagkatapos ng termino ko ay nandiyan na rin ako. At ang Bahay Ugnayan naman ay siyang magiging museum para sa kung sinuman ang pangulo sa panahon na ‘yun (The Teus Mansion is the museum for the past presidents. After my term, I will be featured in that museum and the Bahay Ugnayan will be the museum for whoever is serving as the President),” Marcos said. On the other hand, the Goldenberg Mansion will be used for the conduct of the so-called “Goldenberg Series,” a cultural initiative aimed at raising awareness and celebrating the diverse cultural heritage of the Philippines. Marcos stressed the importance of learning the country’s history, saying it would teach Filipinos to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. “Napakahalagang tayo ay alam natin ang kasaysayan ng Pilipino para naman matuto tayo na ‘yung mga pagkakamali na ating dating ginawa ay huwag na nating ulitin. ‘Yung mga magaganda na nagawa noong nakaraan ay dapat nating ulitin (It’s important to know the history so we will learn from past mistakes and avoid repeating those. It will also let us know the good things that we can emulate),” he said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Posted on

Power consumers who pay on time can claim bill deposit refund

Consumers who religiously paid their electric bill for the last 36 months can claim a refund of their bill deposit, according to an official of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). ERC Commissioner Alexis Lumbatan said being prompt in settling electric bills is one of the two ways consumers can demand a refund. The other is during the termination of a contract as provided for in Article 7 of the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers. ‘Within three years if you fail to pay your monthly due on time, then you can no longer qualify. So your three years should be unblemished in paying on or before your due date,’ he said in an interview over the weekend on the sidelines of the release of claim deposits by the More Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) to its three consumers. Distribution utilities (DUs) require a bill deposit from new or additional services equivalent to one month of billing as a payment guarantee. ‘Of course, there’s nothing which can stop the DU by itself telling consumers to get the refund of the bill deposit since they have qualified,’ he added. Lumbatan led the awarding of the refund for bill deposits to consumers Baby Jean Agustin, Romeo Jagorin Jr., and Emmanuel Lazaro Improgo at the DU’s corporate office three years since it took over the distribution franchise in Iloilo City. Jagorin received PHP4,000, while Improgo and Agustin got PHP2,500 each. The refund is a milestone for MORE Power because it was the first time in Iloilo City that a bill deposit was refunded to consumers. MORE Power president Roel Castro said that for the rest of the year, if consumers they identified will pay their dues on time, then they will be returning bill deposits of over PHP5 million. ‘This is really going to be I would say ordinary for us because we would like it back to the customers because after all this is really hard-earned money of the customers. That’s one side, the other side is we are following the law. The law says we have to return it,’ he said. MORE Power is serving some 93,000 customers through 31,028 connections installed and around 62,000 existing consumers of the previous DU.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Posted on

TPLEX extension to boost growth in N. Luzon

The approval of the PHP23.4-billion 59.4-kilometer Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) extension project will further spur economic development in Northern Luzon, the Department of Finance (DOF) said. ‘The TPLEX Extension Project’s swift approval demonstrates the President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. administration’s resolve to cut bureaucratic red tape and streamline government processes. This is critical to accelerating much-needed investments in infrastructure,’ Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said in a statement over the weekend. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board chaired by President Marcos approved on Friday the TPLEX extension project. The evaluation and approval process for the project is the fastest recorded for a public-private partnership (PPP) proposal. The proposal was submitted to the Investment Coordination Committee on March 23 and subsequently elevated to the NEDA Board. The NEDA Board gave the Department of Public Works and Highways permission to commence negotiations with the project’s original proponent. To ensure a thorough and fair evaluation process, the DOF introduced provisions to the parameters, terms, and conditions to limit government contingent liabilities in case of concessionaire default. The TPLEX extension project is expected to cut the travel time from Rosario to San Juan, La Union province from 96 minutes to 42 minutes. The first segment spanning Rosario to Tubao is estimated to be operational by 2026, while the entire project is to be completed by 2028. ‘The government is committed to strengthening and facilitating PPPs. This requires a well-functioning and responsive policy framework, underpinned by transparency and accountability,’ Diokno said. The 89.31-kilometer TPLEX that spans Tarlac City, Tarlac to Rosario, La Union was completed in 2020

Source: Philippines News Agency

Posted on

Taiwan targets 320K tourists from PH

Taiwan is ramping up marketing and promotions to attract 320,000 tourists from the Philippines as it targets to recoup pre-pandemic arrival figures. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines on Saturday said Filipino travelers reached about 510,000 in 2019. ‘Since Taiwan’s border has been open to tourists since October 13 last year, the number of Filipino visitors to Taiwan has grown rapidly, which shows the high enthusiasm of Filipino tourists for Taiwan,’ it said in a statement. The Taiwan Tourism Bureau Kuala Lumpur Office and the Taiwan Amusement Park Association held a promotion conference in Manila over the weekend to invite Filipinos to visit the numerous amusement parks across the island. Eleven amusement parks, six travel agencies, and three airline representatives from Taiwan came while more than a hundred Philippine travel agencies, including the Philippine Travel Agencies Association, participated from Manila. Chun-Jun, Liao, chair of the Taiwan Amusement Park Association, said theme parks in Taiwan are diverse, some even incorporate Taiwan’s aboriginal culture, hot springs, and flower viewing, among others. The bureau’s theme park promotions are on top of its efforts to highlight Taiwan’s night market delicacies, cityscape, and other popular tourism products. To date, Taiwan remains visa-free for Filipino tourists. Among the parks the bureau promoted are Leofoo Village Theme Park, Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, Janfusan Fancy World, Little Ding-Dong Science Theme Park, Yehliu Ocean World, Farglory Ocean Park, West Lake Resortopia, Atayal Resort, Sun-Link-Sea Forest and Nature Resort, Shangshun World, E-DA Theme Park and more.

Source: Philippines News Agency