Lesson 9: Explore (Internet Research)

HARD NEWS
a. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 26) — The Commission on Elections will not
offer online voters’ registration despite the pandemic due to the need to gather biometrics
data as they resume registration on September 1, an official said.

b. MANILA, Philippines—The Chinese government is donating P22 million to support the

Philippines’ relief efforts after Typhoon Ulysses devastated parts of Luzon.
The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, in a statement on Friday (Nov. 20), said the
donation was an expression of China’s “heartfelt sympathies to those suffering from the recent
typhoons.”
It said the 3 million RMB (around P22 million) donation was for the Philippine government
to “help those hit by Typhoon Ulysses.”
Ulysses killed at least 70 people and displaced thousands of families in Luzon.
The Chinese Embassy said it had already donated some P7.3 million worth of relief
goods for victims of Super Typhoon Rolly, the world’s strongest tropical cyclone in 2020. The
goods would be distributed in Albay and Catanduanes provinces, two of the areas hardest hit by
Rolly, next week.
President Rodrigo Duterte had declared a state of calamity over the entire Luzon island
following the string of typhoons that slammed into the Philippines.

c. The Vice President mentioned this after President Rodrigo Duterte threw a question for
her about where she is heading home after work — which have been absorbed by the
President’s supporters in attacking Robredo.
“Third picture is again a purveyor of fake news. Di ko lang alam kung paano ito pinalaki ng
magulang niya. Nakakaawa […] At tuwing wala na silang matinong argumento, kabastusan na
ang ibinabato,” Robredo said in her post.

(Third picture is again a purveyor of fake news. I do not know how she was raised by her
parents, it’s a pity. And when they no longer have good arguments, they resort to foul
accusations.)
 “Marami nang beses nilang sinabi na nanlalaki ako. Ilang beses, nag post ng mga pictures
na kung sino sinong kasama ko, sinasabing boyfriend ko. Dalawang beses, kaibigan kong gay
yung napagbintangan,” she added.

d. Vice President Leni Robredo went around Cagayan and Isabela on Sunday morning to
survey the extent of the damage wrought by Typhoon Ulysses (international name:
Vamco) in both provinces due to what local government officials considered to be the
worst flooding they had experienced in more than four decades.
In Cagayan, Robredo said the flooding “was no longer as bad as we had seen in the earlier
photos, as the water had receded a bit.”
Asked to comment on President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrival in Cagayan shortly after she did,
Robredo said that it was not “a race.”
“What’s more important is that we are somewhat spread out, not just the President but other
government officials. I think that in incidents like this, [our presence] really helps in boosting
[residents’] morale and giving them hope,” she stressed.

e. MANILA, Philippines — Saying it does not tolerate stereotyping, the Department of

Education (DepEd) on Thursday assured senators that they would investigate a learning
material which portrayed a stereotype against farmers.
As the Senate deliberated on DepEd’s 2021 proposed budget, Senator Francis Pangilinan
called the attention of the agency over learning materials which featured a family of a farmer
wearing torn clothes.
“This is a long-standing, centuries-old bias against farming and agriculture. We don’t want to
teach children to look down upon farming and farmers,” Pangilinan said.
“We understand that the vast majority of the farmers are poor but to stereotype them parang
ano ang magiging mensahe sa ating kabataan?” he added.

FEATURED NEWS
a. DAVAO CITY – When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March this year and placed
limits on everyday life, its impacts are especially acute for people living with disabilities.
 This was particularly true for Balut vendor Iñigo Mindaros, born with amelia or the
congenital absence or partial absence of one or more limbs.
Still, Iñigo faces the challenges brought by Covid-19 head on, even against an already
difficult circumstance.
Yes, he admits he has been struggling to make ends meet, but like all people who are
suffering from the brunt of the pandemic, he says he doesn't let the situation overcome him, and
continues to strive to put food on the table.
If at all, the balut vendor considers the pandemic as a wake-up call, to remind himself to
save be more productive to survive life's challenges.

b. A townhouse we built in Marikina on our TV show Philippine Realty TV six years ago
was designed to withstand the ravages of another Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana). It did just
that a few days ago with Typhoon Ulysses.
Phillip and Malee, the couple who bought the house from us, could only watch in awe the
morning of Nov. 12 as their car floated safely above the floodwaters in their garage while their
neighbors slowly watched their vehicles go completely underwater.
That’s right, their car floated—thanks to the floatable carport which we built as part of the
overall concept for our flood-adaptive smart home. Unlike their neighbors, none of their living
areas or major appliances were damaged. And despite the neck-deep floods, their living situation
was hardly disrupted.

c. No hardship has ever given Filipinos a strong enough reason to forego the Christmas
revelries.
If anything, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our lives helped many of us
rediscover the deeper meanings of this festive season that we may have lost in the repetitiveness
of the tradition.
Premier real estate developer Ortigas Land, however, is recapturing the true essence of
Christmas as it decides to adorn and embellish its developments in celebration of the Filipino
values that were proudly on display as the country weathered the pandemic.

d. SM continues to reach out to communities affected by the recent spate of typhoons that
hit the country over the past month.
SM Supermalls and SM Foundation, through its Operation Tulong Express (OPTE) program,
provided immediate relief assistance to residents of Cagayan, Isabela and other parts of Luzon
who were affected by Typhoon Ulysses. Apart from the truckloads of drinking water and hot
meals, SM also gave out packs of rice, canned goods and noodles.
A total of 9,000 relief packs were meanwhile distributed to San Mateo, Rizal and Marikina.
SM Supermalls president Steven Tan joined philanthropist and news celebrity Karen Davila at
Malanday Elementary School in Marikina City to distribute relief packs, children’s inner wear
and cleaning kits to some 500 families affected by the typhoon.

e. LEGAZPI CITY – Catanduanes Gov. Joseph Cua is elated by the culture of generosity
and service prevailing in his island province which have literally saved the lives of
Catandunganons in times of super typhoons and other deadly disasters.
“For a very long time now, our culture of voluntarily opening doors to our neighbors even
before they knock during the onslaught of deadly typhoons have saved thousands of lives
already. And I know it will continue as such,” Cua told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an
interview early this week.
Cua takes pride in being a native of the island province, such that he could identify himself
with this culture of helping a neighbor who is in need of shelter and food in times of devastating
typhoons.

SOFT NEWS
a. MANILA, Philippines — Model-turned-TV personality Phoemela Baranda has revealed
being on a life-changing journey at age 40: she’s infanticipating.
Baranda proudly showed off her baby bump in a photo she posted Wednesday on her
Instagram account with the caption, “Life begins.” The picture she posted was part of a feature
about her in the fashion online magazine Preview.ph, which was released also on Wednesday.

b. We live in an extraordinarily uncertain time, with almost half the world’s population
living under strict social distancing. Seven months into the lockdown and situations have
been crazy that we sometimes turn to our favorite tunes for comfort and solace—Many
will say that music has, indeed, an undeniable power.
One of these tunes that echoed Filipino resiliency and strength was Barbie Almabis’
rendition of Umagang Kay Ganda. The revival of the song was made possible by Magnolia Dari
Creme to honor all frontliners who have been risking their lives for every Filipino.

c. Rachelle Ann Go and her husband, Martin Spies, proudly revealed that they are expecting
their first baby together.
 The “Hamilton” actress announced her pregnancy through a vlog on her YouTube page
yesterday, Nov. 20. The nearly 10-minute video featured an adorable clip of the couple in a park,
where Go lovingly showed her growing belly to the camera.

d. “You don’t always have to be with a guy in order to be happy,” declared Beauty
Gonzalez, who plays a psychiatrist in the series “I Got You,” adding that her goal was for
her character to be a symbol of women empowerment.
“She’s a single parent but an accomplished professional. Through her, I want other
women to know that their feelings and dreams are valid. They should always reach for their
dreams, and that these shouldn’t be a second priority to what the men in their lives want. It’s
important to love yourself in order for other people to love you back,” she told reporters during a
recent virtual meetup organized by producer Brightlight Productions for the cast of TV5’s new
romantic-comedy series.

e. SEOUL — South Korean megaband BTS released their latest album “BE” on Friday and
will perform the new single “Life Goes On” remotely for the 2020 American Music
Awards on Sunday, the group’s music label said.
The seven-member boy band is at the forefront of South Korean pop music and has
helped build a global fan base for K-pop since their debut in 2013.

INVESTIGATIVE NEWS
a. President Rodrigo Duterte’s 2018 and 2019 statements of assets, liabilities and net worth
or SALN should have been made public within 10 days from the day they were filed. The
Ombudsman initially rebuffed repeated requests by the Philippine Center for
Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) to obtain copies, claiming that it was still revising the
guidelines for public access to the SALNs of government officials.

b. The Senate is holding a hearing on yet another corruption case this week, but there may
be a reversal of fortune of sorts for previous Senate “visitor” and so-called “pork-barrel
queen” Janet Lim Napoles – courtesy of no less than the Office of the Solicitor General
(OSG).

Last Jan. 11, or just six months into the Duterte administration, the new crew at the OSG
filed with the Court of Appeals a “manifestation in lieu of rejoinder” recommending the acquittal
of Napoles for the crime of serious illegal detention of her second cousin, whistleblower Benhur
Luy. Court documents obtained by PCIJ show that the appeals court received the manifestation
on Jan. 20.
Luy is a state witness in the plunder cases against Napoles. On April 14, 2015, a Makati trial
court convicted and sentenced Napoles to reclusion perpetua or 40 years in jail for forcibly
detaining Luy first in a retreat house and then in her own home from December 2012 to March
2013.
Then President Benigno S. Aquino III meanwhile put up a P5-million bounty for the capture
of Napoles’ brother and co-respondent in the case, Reynaldo ‘Jojo’ Lim.
Napoles is now serving her life sentence at the Correctional Institution for Women in
Mandaluyong City, while her brother Jojo Lim remains at large.

c. MANILA - The Duterte government is pushing for a bill cutting the corporate income tax
in exchange for strict limits to tax perks enjoyed by investors. Economists however warn
against eroding the revenue base at a time of a pandemic, when funds are needed the
most.
It sounds counterintuitive but one of the Philippine government's strategies to address
hunger, joblessness, and the economic slowdown arising from the pandemic is to reduce taxes
paid by corporations.
Once it becomes law, income tax rates of small businesses and big corporations will be
slashed to 25 percent from 30 percent (the highest in Asia), a move that is expected to reduce
government revenues by P37 billion within six months of its passage, according to the
Department of Finance (DOF).

d. ACCORDING to President Rodrigo R. Duterte, a public official’s solemn oath would be

to uphold three principles: “serve and protect the people, practice transparency and
accountability, and shun corruption.”
This was his marching order to dozens of legislators and local officials who were elected in
May 2019, at their oath-taking ceremony in Malacañang last June 30.
“As you assume office, it becomes your highest duty to practice and uphold accountability
and transparency in government, and to ensure that graft and corruption will not have a place in
this administration,” Duterte had said. “Let me just shorten our oath of office in two sentences —
actually it’s just — we swear to preserve the Republic of the Philippines and to defend the
people. That’s the long and short of it.”
But Duterte, a most secretive President when it comes to the details of his wealth, does not
always do what he says.
Indeed, by all indications, Duterte sticks out as the lie of his own Freedom of Information (FOI)
edict.
To this day, eight months after the April 30 deadline for the filing of his Statement of
Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), Duterte has not released a copy of his SALN for
2018.
This would be the first time in the last 30 years that a President has not released his or her
SALN. Since the SALN Law was enacted on Feb. 20, 1989, all five presidents before Duterte
had publicly disclosed their annual SALNs without fail, year on year, via either the Office of the
Ombudsman or the Office of the President.

e. Contrary to laws, public access to the SALNs has been problematic, with custodians
issuing directives that either go beyond reasonable requirements or plainly restrict access.
There are three laws that govern the filing of the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth
or SALN: Republic Act (RA) 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), the 1987
Constitution, and RA 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and
Employees).
The requirement to file wealth disclosure records began in 1960 with the passage of RA 3019
or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Back then, officials were required to submit, apart
from their assets and liabilities, amounts and sources of their income, their personal and family
expenses, as well as income taxes paid.

OPINION NEWS
a. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has opened a new front in Malacañang’s bitter
campaign of words against Vice President Leni Robredo. After training his sights on the
second-highest ranking official in government, Roque has moved on to two young
women who just happen to be Robredo’s daughters. Now Roque claims the viral hashtag
#NasaanAngPangulo somehow originated from or was propagated by the Robredo
siblings, even if the tweets he offers up as “evidence” make no mention

b. I’m trying to get the big picture here, reader. With all the trees about, it can be very
difficult to see the forest. I mean, here’s the President all of a sudden turning his rage
toward and ranting against Vice President Leni Robredo, using language that not even a
“kanto boy” would get away with. Even his sidekicks are getting into the picture,
throwing their weight around, bringing her children into the picture.
These are really low blows, even for the President.
 Why all of a sudden is she the target? Or is the President and his sidekicks just
trying to muddy the waters, so that the country does not realize that he has brought us to
the brink? We focus on Leni, we forget the country’s troubles. Something like that.

c. Tears flow aplenty in this season of grief. But the thing to do is to stop crying, you tell
yourself. Stop crying for the couple in their 80s in Alcala, Cagayan, whose lives were
upended by the great flood. Stop shedding tears over the evening newscast showing the
frail woman disembarking from the truck that took her and others from the evacuation
center to a point where they had to negotiate the way home on foot, barefoot, the mud
and all manner of debris making short shrift of their flimsy footwear.
Home is tiny but, mirabile dictu, still standing in the muck. The TV camera recording the
evacuees’ trip back does not direct its intrusive gaze inside, giving the viewer full rein to imagine
the horror within.

d. As if the burden and challenges of COVID-19 were not enough, we have now been
experiencing what many of us in the Disaster Risk Reduction Management and
Humanitarian field have feared: the convergence of disasters and calamities. It’s the
“perfect storm” we all should dread.
In the span of three weeks, four tropical cyclones have hit the country (and one just
bypassed), leaving different regions reeling from challenges in response and early recovery,
compounded by current gaps in economic and health systems due to COVID-19. Typhoon
“Quinta” (international name Molave) came ashore on Oct. 25. Less than a week later,
Supertyphoon “Rolly” (Goni)—the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide thus far—made landfall
in Catanduanes. On Nov. 8, Tropical Depression “Tonyo” (Etau) hit, followed by the landfall of
Typhoon “Ulysses” (Vamco) on Nov. 11.

e. Over the past weeks, as the country got battered by a series of typhoons, we saw Vice
President Leni Robredo at the forefront of coordinating responses and organizing relief
operations, from Catanduanes to Cagayan, and Polillo Island, Marikina, and Rizal in
between.
This is on top of her efforts throughout the pandemic from organizing transportation and
accommodation for hospital frontliners to giving assistance to people most affected by the
lockdown.In a less divided nation, her actions would surely have earned plaudits across the
political spectrum. At a time of an unprecedented plague and a series of disasters, who wouldn’t
welcome an extra hand—especially one who has the organizational experience, the willingness,
and the clout of the second highest official in the land?
And who wouldn’t welcome the idea of all our top officials coming together behind shared
objectives of beating the pandemic and saving lives, and truly “act as one”?
News that I’ve chose

1. Hard News
b – I realize that the Chinese Oraganization still supports us even so many people talking
badly to them. The Chinese helped the people that are affected of the Typoon Ulysses that
are greatly and huge helped for them. On that devastating calamity, we can see that there are
still other country that are willing to help us despite that we are not worthy of their helped.

2. Featured News
a – The perseverance and being gracefully of a humandkind, being consistent no matter what
kind of life you have. Because in this news, a balut vendor with a physical disability, still
sells his merchandise despite of the coronavirus outbreak, and despite of his disability he still
been able to manage to remains positive in his outlook in life.

3. Soft News
b – It tells us to go easy on ourselves as we adapt to the challenging times. It reminds us that
difficult times are temporary, and we can survive the journey. The song invite us to hold on
to our dreams and find ways to pursue them. The song celebrates our innate silent strength
we had all along. It reminds us that whatever happens, our families and loved ones are there
to support us. Even in the hard times, you can still make through it, you just need to believe
and trust yourself, that you can do it no matter what happens. But if not, there’s still another
opportunity for you that you can try for yourself.

4. Investigative News
d – I realized that even a President can become a most secretive when it comes to the details
of his wealth, that is highly needed to us people to know what is going on when where it
comes from. And there’s a law saying “No request for information shall be denied unless it
clearly falls under any of the exceptions listed in the inventory or updated inventory of
exceptions circularized by the Office of the President provided in the preceding section.”

5. Opinion News
e – Our government should act one, and not disagree with each other. That is what happened
in news that President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice Pres Leni Robredo arguing about what can
they do about the relief that they are going to give on the people in Cagayan that had been
devastated by a typoon. I hope they finally abandons their destructive divisiveness—and their
somnolent sense of urgency when it comes to crisis. If they can do their job, then they'll be
the first to realize that he needs all the help he can get. And if they can’t do it, the least they
can do is to give way to others willing and able to do so.