Yolanda-affected entrepreneur rises, now earns P100 - 300k through online business

Who would have thought that supertyphoon Yolanda, one of the strongest typhoons on record that lashed central Philippines, would push an entrepreneur to rise from the ashes and rebuild her business?

In November 2013, The Purpektion Shop owner Vanessa Tinitigan lost almost all of her products due to the flood brought about by the super typhoon. Aside from losing money, Vanessa also lost the trust of some of her clients who didn’t get to receive their orders.

PHOTO CREDIT: YouTube/Shopee Philippines

This incident prompted her to close down her bazaar and Facebook business and search for greener pastures.

In the hopes of starting over again, Vanessa decided to work abroad. However, things didn’t seem to work out so she eventually decided to come home. Little did she know that she was destined for something greater in the Philippines.

“Pero umuwi po ako noon as in wala akong kita. So ang nangyari po noon, yung natitira kong stocks na hindi ko maibenta sa bang platform ipinost ko po siya sa Shopee,” Vanessa told ABS-CBN’s My Puhunan.

In a matter of 24 hours, buyers took interest in her products. This gave Vanessa enough courage to give business a second chance. However, she concentrated on online business particularly the Shopee platform this time.

"Inipon ko po 'yong pera. Araw-araw namimili ako kasi para mapaikot ko siya nang mabilis. Tapos after a month po, na-award-an po ako ng 'Shopee Seller of the month’, Vanessa happily revealed.

Vanessa even took advantage of her experience in her failed venture abroad to make her business grow.

“From that time po, nag-research po ako kasi, no'ng nabigo po ako sa abroad, sa skin care po iyon, sabi ko gusto kong magkaroon ng sarili kong skin care brand, saka po para ma-cater sa mga tao yung mura, affordable,” Vanessa said.

From earning P20,000 to P50,000, Vanessa now makes P100,000 to P300,000 a month. In the future, Vanessa wants her brand to be recognized internationally.

Towards the end of her interview, she encouraged millennials to take risk, overcome their fears and dream big.

"Normal lang pong matakot. Hindi ka po nangangarap nang malaki kung di ka po natatakot. Ang sa 'kin po, sipag lang po talaga at saka tiyaga. Kasi po ako nag-start po ako nang walang puhunan, kung di 'yong sipag at tiyaga lang po. Eventually po, everything will fall into place,” Vanessa added.

-- Mini, The Summit Express

‘Love You To The Stars And Back’ Movie Review: ‘Joshlia’ Proves To Be More Than Just Another Love Team

*Minor Spoilers Ahead*

Feeding off of the currently popular Young Adult genre in various media formats, director Antoinette Jadaone has come out with “Love You To The Stars And Back” starring the country’s possibly most underrated love team - Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia. The main narrative of the film, which takes place in just a matter of days, takes on the fateful meeting and immediate bond between Caloy (Garcia) - a leukemia-stricken but still jolly normal guy and Mika (Barretto) - a full of hang-ups girl who genuinely wants to be taken by aliens.

Joshua Garcia as Caloy and Julia Barretto as Mika in ‘Love You To The Stars And Back’/Star Cinema

Admittedly, the premise sounds a bit odd as it borderlines a trippy thriller, but the film surprisingly banked a whole lot on its characters which is a great thing especially for closed-off, focused stories like “Love You To The Stars And Back.”

Jadaone was able to find a way to make their personal journeys, both individually and together that the supernatural aspect of the film takes a back seat -- a good and a bad way, depending on people’s perspectives.

Julia Barretto as Mika and Joshua Garcia as Caloy in ‘Love You To The Stars And Back’/Star Cinema

While both Caloy and Mika gets their respective due in the film, the former arguably got a more fleshed out character than the latter. The cheerful commoner had his backstory crafted pretty decent that viewers were immediately invested on him, his family and his ultimate fate from the get-go. That said, the compromise to have Mika’s own life story only briefly glossed over but keep her search of aliens a recurring theme and at times, even a teased end game kept her in the loop and not relegated to just a supporting role. After all, “Love You To The Stars And Back” is supposedly about the story of two people.

However, the one thing that arguably stood out in this Star Cinema piece is the performance of Barretto and Garcia. Both young actors brought out their A-game which is furthered by their innate chemistry with each other. Boxed up in a car in majority of the film could have easily downgraded the actors’ ability to evoke “the feels” as their bodies were restricted, hence depending on their facial features to express their respective characters’ emotions at that point in time.

If there are any doubts about Barretto’s acting chops and dubbed being nothing as a pretty face, her execution in “Love You To The Stars And Back” effectively squashed them. The project is a testament of her range - from comical to downright hysterical, she delivers every line with clarity and raw emotion and without missing a beat. Garcia, on the other hand, proves that the age of John Lloyd Cruz and Piolo Pascual is still very much alive with him being the next iteration of a celebrity which is first and foremost known because of his abilities in front of the camera instead of being just an angsty and gimmicky personality.

Minor gripes on the film, as previously mentioned is it being sold as a supernatural infused love story, but the film could have worked alright, if not better without the name dropping of aliens. Although to be fair, it resulted to a few chuckles, especially with the absurd chant Mika made on her own. Further, there were some parts in the first and second acts where the camera got a little bit too shaky. Whether those were intentional or not to drive the thriller/fantastical aspect of the movie, they were a bit jarring.

Overall, “Love You To The Stars And Back” is a formulaic Star Cinema film - satisfying and massively appealing. But it’s greatness lies in the performance of Barretto and Garcia. If anything, these two should be getting way more hype and interest than they currently have right now as they are more likely to last in the business - whether together as a love team or individually as actors.

Watch the official trailer:

-- ALD, The Summit Express

LOOK: Jose Mari Chan memes trend online

For most Filipinos, September isn’t just the start of the Christmas Season, it’s also a sign (or rather a warning) that singer-composer Jose Mari Chan is about to take over speakers in shopping malls all over the Philippines.

Jose Mari Chan memes trend anew. Photo Credit: Facebook/Jose Mari Gutierrez

The Filipino King of Christmas Carols has dominated the Philippine airwaves from September to December ever since his iconic song “Christmas in Our Hearts” was released in 1990. Chan’s most popular single has become a staple during Christmas season that it has been played in different generations of music players including radios, cassette players, karaokes, cd players, MP3 players as well as Spotify playlists for more than two decades.

But unknown to many, Chan’s popular Christmas song was supposed to be sang by world-renowned singer Lea Salonga. Unfortunately, Salonga’s recording company didn’t allow her to cross over to another label.

Chan, who was tasked to perform the song, then asked former Miss Saigon star Monique Wilson to do a duet with him. Wilson, at the time they were supposed to record the song, suddenly lost her voice. This has left Chan no choice but to sing the song with his 19-year-old daughter, Liza.

A few hours before September begins, Chan has started trending online for an obvious reason. We know you’re as excited as these netizens…

Jose mari chan syndrome starting tomorrow. Yeah his Christmas songs all over the Philippines baby🎶😂 pic.twitter.com/c4faTak18T

— 🌸 (@seyerazyl) August 31, 2017

Brace yourselves, non stop Jose Mari Chan music is coming pic.twitter.com/rbww9kJtDP

— Jennifer Mizzi (@jennifer_maria) August 31, 2017

JOSE MARI CHAN IS TRENDING~!

AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!!! pic.twitter.com/0G4YnrhQ3w

— Mimi (@mihyunnie_) August 31, 2017

GOT Jose Mari Chan version pic.twitter.com/15YkgbGBvc

— jay (@rendezwolves) August 31, 2017

--Mini, The Summit Express

LIST: Top 10 companies 'Pinoys aspire to work for' 2017

MANILA, Philippines - Country’s leading job portal JobStreet.com has recently released its Top Companies 2017 survey, a list that reveals companies that Pinoys dream to work for this year.

PLDT Headquarter in Makati City. File photo.

The survey carried out in May 2017 involved a total of 3,658 respondents coming from different position levels predominantly junior executives and fresh graduates with various specializations.

Based on the results of the ranking released on Wednesday, August 30, power distributor Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) was the number one choice of jobseekers, putting last year’s first-placer, food and beverage firm San Miguel Corporation (SMC) to second place.

From eighth place last year, Internet-based service Google Philippines snatched the third spot, while international nutrition and wellness multinational giant Nestle Philippines slid down to fourth place.

BPO firm Accenture in the Philippines secured the fifth spot from third place last year.

Other firms that made the fourth edition of the list were Henry Sy-owned financial institution BDO Unibank, consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble, top media and entertainment company ABS-CBN Corp., telecommunications giant PLDT Inc, and consumer goods multinational Unilever.

1. Manila Electric Co (Meralco)
2. San Miguel Corp (SMC)
3. Google Philippines
4. Nestle Philippines
5. Accenture
6. BDO Unibank
7. Procter and Gamble
8. ABS-CBN Corp
9. PLDT Inc.
10 Unilever

While last year’s list showed that a competitive basic salary was the top reason why jobseekers choose to work for a firm, jobseekers this year considered job security as their primary reason. Other factors include career growth offerings, training and development opportunities as well as strong leadership team.

“These choices indicate that professional Filipinos are more interested in the long-term gains, as factors that directly affect their professional lives such as career growth offerings, job security, career-enhancing training and development opportunities, and a strong leadership team that can mentor them in their professional trajectory are now more preferred than the short-term offerings such as competitive salaries,” JobStreet said in its report.

Check out last year’s list.

-- Mini, The Summit Express

Top performing schools, performance of schools Medtech board exam August 2017

MANILA, Philippines - The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) on Thursday, August 31, officially announced that 4,821 out of 5,661 (85.16%) passed in the August 2017 Medical Technologist (Medtech) board exam given by the Board of Medical Technology in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena and Tuguegarao.

PRC recognized University of San Agustin, Cebu Doctors University, Holy Name University (Divine Word - Tagbilaran) and Colegio San Agustin - Bacolod City as the top performing schools - garnering 100% passing rate.

Angeles University Foundation (AUF) and Velez College ranked second and third with 99.30% and 99.04%, respectively.

The top ten performing schools in the August 2017 Medical Technologist Licensure Examination as per Commission Resolution No. 2010-547 series of 2010:  WITH 50 OR MORE EXAMINEES AND WITH AT LEAST 80% PASSING PERCENTAGE

RANK	SCHOOL	TOTAL NO.OF EXAM.	TOTAL NO.PASSED	PERCENTAGEPASSED
1	UNIVERSITY OF SAN AGUSTIN	175	175	100.00 %
	CEBU DOCTORS UNIVERSITY	84	84	100.00 %
	HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY (FOR. DIVINE WORD-TAGBILARAN)	74	74	100.00 %
	COLEGIO SAN AGUSTIN-BACOLOD CITY	55	55	100.00 %
2	ANGELES UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION	143	142	99.30 %
3	VELEZ COLLEGE	209	207	99.04 %
4	UNIVERSITY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL- RECOLETOS	73	72	98.63 %
5	FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY-NICANOR REYES MEDICAL FOUNDATION	111	109	98.20 %
6	TRINITY UNIVERSITY OF ASIA (TRINITY-QC)	55	54	98.18 %
7	LICEO DE CAGAYAN UNIVERSITY	84	82	97.62 %
8	LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY- BATANGAS, INC.	79	77	97.47 %
9	FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY-MANILA	311	303	97.43 %
10	SAN PEDRO COLLEGE-DAVAO CITY	289	281	97.23 %

The performance of schools in the August 2017 Medical Technologist Licensure Examination in alphabetical order as per R.A. 8981 otherwise known as PRC Modernization Act of 2000 Section 7(m) "To monitor the performance of schools in licensure examinations and publish the results thereof in a newspaper of national circulation" is as follows:

Medtech Board Exam Performance of Schools

Marianne Ross Bacia Soldevilla, graduate of Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU) aced the board with 90.90%. It was followed by Glenn Charls Lagumpay Buelis of University of Immaculate Conception-Davao, 90.80%.

TOP 10 PASSERS: August 2017 Medtech (RMT) board exam results

MANILA, Philippines - The full list of topnotchers or top 10 passers for August 2017 Medical Technologist (Medtech) board exam is available on this page as expected to be released this Thursday, August 31, 2017 or in three (3) working days after the exam.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) conducted the second board exam for medtech this year on August 26 and 27 in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legaspi, Lucena and Tuguegarao.

Medtech board exam related results

• List of Passers: August 2017 Medtech board exam
• Top performing schools, performance of schools August 2017 Medtech board exam

The successful examinees who garnered the ten (10) highest places in the August 2017 Registered Medical Technologist (RMT) Licensure Examination are the following (updating...refresh page for the results):

RANK	NAME	SCHOOL	RATING (%)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

PREVIOUS EXAMINATIONS

In the August 2016 licensure exams, Roselle Louise Luga Publico from Silliman University (SU) topped the board with 91.10%. It was followed by Clarisse Joan Ceriales Cadano, also from Silliman, after garnering 90.70%.

In the September 2015 tests, it was a triple tie between El Marie Tuazon Salunga (Angeles University Foundation), Jonan Michael Tan Soriano (Far Eastern University - Manila) and Brylle Domerson Mendoza Turalba (Saint Louis University) for the top spot, all having 90.70%.

Here's quick summary of topnotchers for RMT exam in the past three (3) years.

Exam Date	Topnotcher	School	Rating (%)
August 2017	TBA	TBA	TBA
February 2017	VANESSA LESLIE RIVERA	FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITYMANILA	91.20
August 2016	ROSELLE LOUISE LUGA PUBLICO	SILLIMAN UNIVERSITY	91.10
March 2016	JHAMAICA EMMYROSE FERRER ABOY	CENTRO ESCOLAR UNIVERSITY-MANILA	90.60
September 2015	EL MARIE TUAZON SALUNGA	ANGELES UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION	90.70
	JONAN MICHAEL TAN SORIANO	FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY-MANILA
	BRYLLE DOMERSON MENDOZA TURALBA	SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY
March 2015	ACE WILLIAM GOPEZ PASION	ANGELES UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION	89.80

From which school will be the topnotcher for August 2017?

FULL RESULTS: August 2017 Medtech board exam passers list, top 10

MANILA, Philippines - The August 2017 Medical Technologist (MedTech) board exam results, which include the full list of passers, top 10 (topnotchers), top performing school and performance of schools are all available on this page as officially released on Thursday, August 31 or in two (3) working days after the exam.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) conducted the second board exam for medtech this year on August 26 and 27 in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legaspi, Lucena and Tuguegarao.

Medtech board exam related results

• Top 10 Passers: August 2017 Medtech board exam results
• Top performing schools, performance of schools August 2017 Medtech board exam

The members of the Board of Medical Technology who gave the licensure examination are Dr. Marietta C. Baccay, Chairman; Ms. Marilyn R. Atienza and Ms. Marian M. Tantingco, Members.

Roll of Successful Examinees in the
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST LICENSURE EXAMINATION
Held on AUGUST 26 & 27, 2017
Released on AUGUST 31, 2017

Now updating for the official list of passers. Refresh page for the results.

NOTE: Those who failed to pass the board examination for Medical Technology but had obtained a general rating of at least 70% can register as Medical Laboratory Technician, PRC said.

REGISTRATION AND OATHTAKING

PRC said that registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will be done on-line. Please go to www.prc.gov.ph and follow instructions for initial registration.

Those who will register are required to bring the following:

• Notice of admission
• duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal
• 2 pieces passport size pictures (colored with white background and complete name tag) and
• 2 sets of documentary stamps.

Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.

The date and venue for the oathtaking ceremony of the new successful examinees in the said examination WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER, PRC added.

VERIFICATION OF RATINGS

Medtech board exam's verification of ratings (passers, non-passers and removal) can be done online.

Visit PRC's "Verification of Rating" service and enter the required information to verify your identity. Note that this will be available in few working days after the release of results.

COVERAGE OF EXAMINATION

Medtech board exam covered the following subjects: clinical chemistry, microbiology and parasitology, clinical microscopy (August 26); hematology, blood banking and serology, hispathologic techniques, cytotechnology, medical technology laws, related laws and its implementing rules and the code of ethics (August 27).

RELEASE OF RESULTS

According to PRC Resolution No. 2016-1019, the target release date of Medical technologist board exam results is on Friday, August 31, 2017 or in 3 working days after the exam.

In the same period last year (August 2016), results were available after 3 working days. A total of 4,144 out of 5,126 hurdled the exams. Cagayan State University (CSU) - Andrews Campus, Cebu Doctors' University (CDU), Saint Louis University (SLU) and University of Negros Occidental - Recoletos topped the board for having 100% passing rate.

In March 2016, results were also released after 3 working days. 2,046 out of 2,596 passed the medtech board exam. Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP), CSU-Andrews Campus and University of Baguio (UB) led the schools after garnering perfect passing rate.

Here's the quick summary of previous examinations.

Exam Date	Total Examinees	Total Passers	Passing Rate	Days before results release
August 2017	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA
February 2017	3,216	2,378	73.94%	3
August 2016	5,126	4,144	80.84%	3
March 2016	2,596	2,046	78.81%	3
September 2015	4,840	4,048	83.64%	3
March 2015	1,942	1,419	73.07%	3

UPDATES

Monitor this page for the real-time updates on Medtech board exam results. Check out also the official website of PRC for more information.

VIRAL POST: Man who married single mom with two kids earns praises

In the Philippines, single moms often get judged for having a child out of wedlock or a failed relationship. Some men even hesitate to have a serious relationship or even marry them because of the stigma. Many fail to recognize the hardships and struggles that they face in single-handedly raising their children.

Kimark Futalan, a man who married a single mom with two kids, has decided to share their love story in order to break misconceptions about single moms. His inspiring Facebook post on Proud Bisaya has quickly gone viral and earned praises from netizens.

PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook/Proud Bisaya

Futalan, who recently tied the knot with Sofhia Angela “Angel” Tido Garcia, revealed they got to know each other through Facebook. Although Angel already have two kids with another man, Futalan said he truly accepts and loves Angel and her kids.

Initially, they were on a long-distance relationship for a year as Angel was working as an OFW in Saudi Arabia. Before he could personally meet Angel, Futalan already took the opportunity to get to know Angel’s family as well as her kids. He even promised Angel’s father that he will marry his daughter.

When Angel finally returned to the Philippines, they decided to live together until they finally got married.

In his post, Futalan urged men to love and fully accept single mothers.

“Nais kong sabihin sa inyo, pag nagmahal tayo matuto tayong tumanggap, kung ano at sino sya. Hindi rin porket single mother ay huhusgahan natin sila, Sila yung mga babaeng matatag, mga babaeng kahit nagkaruon ng hindi magandang nakaraan ay pilit na tinataguyod ang kanilang anak.”

Contrary to popular, Futalan said it’s not really difficult to love a child who isn’t yours. According to Futalan, these kids shouldn’t stop you from loving and marrying single moms.

“Sa aking karanasan, Napatunayan ko na hindi mahalaga kung kadugo mo yung bata, Hindi mahalaga yung pang huhusga ng ibang tao, basta malinis at totoo ang hangarin mo wala kang pakealam sa sasabihin ng iba. Ang mahalaga masaya kayo, nagkakaunawaan, nagdadamayan at nagrerespetuhan,” Futalan wrote.

-- Mini, The Summit Express

Magnitude 5.1 earthquake jolts Cagayan, Ilocos (August 30, 2017)

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported a magnitude 5.1 earthquake that shook parts Northern Luzon on Wednesday morning, August 30, 2017.

The exact time of occurrence was recorded at 06:08:34 a.m. with epicenter at 19.13°N, 121.20°E - 033 km S 58° W of Calayan in Cagayan.

The earthquake that occurred has a tectonic origin with 13 km depth of focus.

The quake was felt at Intensity II in Laoag City.

Instrumental Intensity II was recorded in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte and Sinait, Ilocos Sur.

Phivolcs said there's no damage resulting from the quake, but said in its bulletin that aftershocks were expected.

Instagram posts can diagnose depression better than doctors

Your Instagram posts speaks a lot about you, including your mental health state.

That’s according to a study published in the journal EPJ Data Science. A pair of researchers from the University of Vermont and Harvard University discovered that an algorithm tagging a few signs of depression in users' Instagram post can diagnose depression better than doctors.

To arrive at this conclusion, Chris Danforth and Andrew Reece observed almost 44,000 images posted by 166 study participants. Of the 166 individuals, 71 had previously been diagnosed with depression.

Through markers such as the tendency of depressed people to show less evidence of social activity as well as preference for grayer and darker colors, the research team came up with a tool that analyzed the posts and identified depression.

Results showed that depressed people before and after diagnosis tend to post blue, gray or dark tones compared to healthy people. They also discovered that people with depression are actually more likely to post photos with faces contrary to previous assumptions by researchers. However, these images with faces have less people in it compared to posts by healthy people. It was not revealed whether depressed people post more selfies.

In terms of use of filter, people with depression were less likely to use filters in their posts. But when they choose to use one, they tend to pick Inkwell, a filter that turns photos into black and white. Interestingly, healthy people prefer the Valencia filter, which gives photos a sun-kissed look.

Compared to doctors who accurately identified depression only 42% of the time, the tool could accurately diagnose depression 70% of the time.

Researchers are hoping that their study would pave way in diagnosing mental conditions and spotting mental illnesses through artificial intelligence.

-- Mini, The Summit Express

LOOK: Missing boy bears resemblance with Maute child warrior

MANILA, Philippines - Seven years after losing her three-year-old son in Tondo, Manila, a mother is desperately pleading for help for fears that the local terror group Maute Group have turned him into a child warrior.

In July 4, 2010, Ram-ram Abdul Jabar Cabugatan, also referred to as “Azramie Mangondacan”, was kidnapped from his home. In a submitted affidavit, Rowhanisa Abdul Jabar alleged her helper Ula Arada of conniving with a former neighbor identified as Sittie Melva, whom she accused of masterminding the kidnapping.

PHOTO CREDIT: Pinoy Tambayan

Today, Ram-ram would be 10 years old, the same age as the Maute child soldier photographed. Although the child warrior bears resemblance with her son, she said she needs more information about him as she could no longer recognize her own son.

In her desperate plead on social media, Jabar wrote: “Siya na nga ba ‘yan. Kasi ako bilang isang ina, na nalayo nang almost 8 years and anak, hindi ko na po makilala, except sa sinasabi nila na lukso ng dugo.”

She added: "Sa murang edad niya, hindi dapat siya nagkakaganyan. Sana may magandang siyang kinakaharap sa ngayon, kung hindi siya nahiwalay sa akin.”

Jabar is still hoping to be reunited with her son in the future.

“Nahirapan pa kasi akong mag-move on kaya nanginginig ako at kinakabahan (nang makita ko ang picture,” she told Davao Today.

Based on a previous report by Rappler, the Maute terrorists had been recruiting child warriors to fight with them. A former child warrior revealed that child soldiers were trained in Butig, the hometown of Farhana Maute, the family’s matriarch.

Last May, the terrorist group started a siege that resulted to the destruction of Malawi City and displacement of about 600,000 residents of Lanao del Sur. The group is among the local terror groups that pledged allegiance to the international terror group Islamic State or ISIS with the hope of putting up an Islamic caliphate in the country.

-- Mini, The Summit Express

#WalangPasok: September 1, 2017 declared regular holiday for Eid'l Adha

MANILA, Philippines - President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, August 28, officially declared September 1, 2017 (Friday) a regular holiday throughout the country in observance of Eid'l Adha or the "Feast of Sacrifice."

CONFIRMED: Eidul Adha is on September 1, a regular holiday in the Philippines. Photo Credit: PhilStar

As the holiday falls on Friday, it means that Filipinos will have another long weekend after Ninoy Aquino Day weekend ( August 19 to 21) and National Heroes Day weekend (August 26 to 28).

The announcement was made through proclamation no. 297, based on the recommendation of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos. This is after the successful sightings of new moon crescent on Tuesday, August 22, as confirmed by the High Judicial Court (HJC) in Saudi Arabia.

The Eid al-Adha is Islam's holiest festival celebrated annually around the world and an official holiday in Muslim-majority countries and in the Philippines.

Republic Act No. 9849 states that the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah or the twelfth month of the Islamic Calendar, is hereby declared as a national holiday for the observance of Eidul Adha.

Eid al-Adha commemorates the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God, before God then intervened, to provide him with a sheep to sacrifice instead.

Eid’l Adha, which has been a public holiday since 2002 in the country, is one of the two greatest feasts of Islam - the other being Eid’l Fitr or the Feast of Ramadan, which was also declared as a regular holiday on June 26.

FULL RESULTS: August 2017 Agricultural Engineer board exam passers list, top 10

MANILA, Philippines - The August 2017 Agricultural Engineer board exam results, which includes the full list of passers, top 10 (topnotchers), top performing school and performance of schools are all available on this page once officially announced expected on Tuesday, August 29 or in two (2) working days after the exam.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Board of Agricultural Engineering conducted the licensure exam on August 23 and 24 in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Legaspi and Tuguegarao.

The Board of Agricultural Engineering is composed of Engr. Ariodear C. Rico, Chairman and Engr. Juana T. Tapel, Member.

Roll of Successful Examinees in the
AGRICULTURAL ENGINEER LICENSURE EXAMINATION
Held on AUGUST 23 & 24, 2017
Released on AUGUST 29, 2017

Now updating for the list of passers..refresh page for the results.

REGISTRATION AND OATHTAKING

PRC said that registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will be done on-line. Visit the official website of PRC (www.prc.gov.ph) and follow instructions for initial registration.

Those who will register are required to bring the following:

• duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal
• 2 pieces passport size picture (colored with white background and complete name tag)
• 2 sets of documentary stamps.

As advised, all successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.

The date and venue for the oathtaking ceremony of the new successful examinees in the said examination WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER, PRC added.

VERIFICATION OF RATINGS

Agricultural Engineer board exam's verification of ratings (passers, non-passers and removal) can be done online.

Visit PRC's "Verification of Rating" service and enter the required information to verify your identity. Note that this will be available in few working days after the release of results.

COVERAGE OF EXAMINATION

The two-day exam covered the following subjects: rural electrification, agricultural processing, agricultural structures and allied subjects (Day 1); soil and water resources development and conservation, irrigation, drainage and allied subjects, agricultural mechanization, agricultural power, agricultural machinery, equipment and allied subjects (Day 2).

RELEASE OF RESULTS

According to PRC Resolution No. 2016-1019, the target release date of the Agricultural Engineer board exam results is on Monday, August 28. But since the said date falls on a holiday for National Heroes Day, the nearest date for the release is on Tuesday, August 29.

In the August 2016 exams, PRC named 396 out of 1,002 passers of the Agricultural Engineer board exam. University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) led the schools after obtaining 96.00% or 48 out of 50 passed the exams.

In August 2015, results were out online in 4 working days. A total of 340 out of 841 passed the exams. UPLB also topped the board with 89.74-percent passing or 35 out of 39 passed the series of tests.

Here's the quick summary of previous examinations.

Exam Date	Total Examinees	Total Passers	Passing Rate	Days before results release
August 2017	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA
August 2016	1,002	396	39.52%	2
August 2015	841	340	40.43%	4
July 2014	623	313	50.24%	3

UPDATES

Monitor this page for the real-time updates on Agricultural Engineer board exam results. Check out also the official website of PRC for more information.

VIDEO: Zark's Burgers P8 promo causes chaos, stampede in malls

MANILA, Philippines - Netizens slammed local burger chain as their P8 for first 80 customers in-store promo to celebrate the company's 8th anniversary on Monday, August 28, has caused chaos and stampede in various malls.

Photo Credit: Twitter/Fayiiixx

Several social media posts showed hundreds of customers flocked outside Zark's Burgers outlets, hoping to avail of the promo.


In a Facebook post of Kent Pontivedra, he described the event as "Tsunami Day" due to loose crowd control at SM Bacoor.

"Kami ang aga aga nmin pumila 7am pa. Dapat kung sino unang dumating papasukin at papilahin agad Kung saan yung Zark's Burger...10am ang open ng Mall pero yung mga guard pinapapasok nila yung mga pupunta ng Supermarket pero yung iba diskarte nila para makapila sa Ground floor...Kaya ang nangyari stampede,nagkakadapaan at nagkakasakitan pagpasok sa Mall."


Meanwhile, Pauline Cabal Estrada's video shows a massive crowd having pandemonium at SM San Mateo as people are rushing to get inside the outlet.

'Zarks' immediately trended on Twitter Philippines with netizens expressing their views on the incident.

That Zarks fiasco proves that we're still not ready yet to advance from being a third world country. Sad truth.

— Jian Genovana (@jiangenovana) August 28, 2017

Ppl at Zarks be like.. pic.twitter.com/3mPlh1sewD

— Kevin Lester Guates (@kayelbeegee) August 28, 2017

World War Zarks! Now showing at selected malls! 😂🤣😂

— John Ralben Rivera (@realralben) August 28, 2017

nakakatakot, parang hysteria. why go through all that for 8 pesos. tsk zarks needs to be more careful with their promo

— Noemi L. Dado (@momblogger) August 28, 2017

Earlier, Zark's Burgers apologized for the mammoth response on their promo.

"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience experienced by patrons and other mall shoppers unintentionally brought about by this celebration that was intended to thank all of you for 8 years of loyal support and patronage."

"We would also like to thank all officers, mall managers and security teams for ensuring everyone's safety."

What can you say on this burger promo fiasco? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

WATCH: This true-to-life unfiltered OFW story goes viral

“After all the hardships abroad, can a father handle more pain back home?”

This is the theme of the latest ad of Camella Homes that has gone viral on social media. The true-to-life- unfiltered story of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) is among the millions of stories of modern day heroes of the Philippines.

In the short video clip, the struggles and challenges of an OFW while working abroad were shown. Although he encountered hardships miles away from his loved ones, the father persevered and sacrificed in order to make his family’s dreams come true.

When he finally had the chance to return home to his family, the father discovered something that will totally change the course of his life. At his home’s doorstep, the father found out that his wife has been living with another man while he was busy earning money to support their family.

It was indeed a heartbreaking moment for the father but a few seconds later, the video revealed a new chapter in the former OFW’s life.

Watch the video.

With millions of OFW’s doing a sacrifices in a foreign land to provide a better future for their families, many netizens were moved by the story.

“Hina nMn ng pick up ng iba Jan.. Ibig sabihin Magtira ka ng pra s sarili mu.. OFw mahirap Kumita ng Pera.. Isipin Mu ung future,Sna Surprise nya Pra s Pamilya Nya ung pinaghirapan Nya Abroad pero hnd nakapaghintay ung babae.. Atleast Nagtira xa s Sarili nya.. hnd Nya Inuubos ung lahat See niloko lng pala xa.. atleast may Bahay xa n makikita nya Pinaghirapan nya.. hnd Biro mag OFw tpos Lolokohin lng ito tlga Reality naghahanap ang mga Naiiwan.Kaya Be Wise mapababae/Lalaki Magtira kayo wag lng puro bigay,” Precious Rhiez Casano commented.

Junielkim Alaud Mat-ao Cuñado said: “matagal na ako sa abroad almost 12 yrs na, sa nakikita ko sa mga babae sa abroad 95% my kabet o kalaguyo, aminin nyoman or hinde yan ang ang ngyayari... Pero madami din mga lalake dito my kabet lalo na pag malaki ang sahod, pero yong mga maliit lang ang sahod wala ng panohun un mag luko walang pang gastos, pero si babae maliit man ang kinkita or malaki talagang nangangaliwa lalot nat makakita ng guapo na ibang lahi nako...or si ibang lahi mapera sosko...pero hinde naman lahat my martino panaman din un ngalaang 5% lang sila.”

“Finally, so far best video ng Camella. Tagos sa puso. Nangyayari sa totoong buhay. Nakakaawa un mga OFW na niloloko lang ng mga asawa nila. Kawawa din yun mga naiwan sa Pinas na niloloko ng asawa nila na nasa ibang bansa. But this video gives hope for everyone, na kahit anong dapa o gaano ka kadapa, still pwede kang bumangon,” Eigle Anim wrote.

-- Mini, The Summit Express

Can you spot the horse hiding in this image?

Optical illusions can be really frustrating if you can’t find the object you’re supposed to see. Some just have to stare for a few minutes and easily spot the hidden object. Others, like me, take longer than usual. Most of the time, I give up and just search for the answer online. Then I would feel both relieved and frustrated for not finding it earlier.

Like puzzles, optical illusions help us expand our minds, be creative and think critically in different ways. Because it significantly challenges us, it helps us develop problem solving skills. Plus, it’s a real test of patience.

Most people who have seen the image don’t have a clue that there are two animals on it. At first glance, you’ll probably see a frog resting on a lily pad in this image. However, there’s another animal hiding in this image and we bet you’ll really have a hard time spotting it.

Still haven’t spotted the hidden horse? Check out the outlined image below.

By this time, we bet you still haven’t found that horse. The outlined image still clearly shows a frog. Try to be more imaginative and creative. Hint: The image doesn’t contain the entire horse body. You should just be looking for its head and neck.

Still clueless? Keep looking around the area with the lily pad. It shows where the horse is on the image.

In case you haven’t seen it, here’s the ultimate clue: the frog’s body is actually the horse’s head? Check this out.

The image above is the exact same image showing the frog only that it has been turned once to the left. Now you cannot unseen what you have just discovered!

If you’ve seen the horse, don’t forget to spread the joy and share this image with anyone who’s up for challenge.

-- Mini, The Summit Express

House approves final reading of 4-day work week

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives has approved the third and final reading of House Bill 6152, a measure that reduces the number of work days into four days by increasing the number of daily work hours.

Under this bill, companies may decrease the number of workdays by extending the usual eight-hour workday. Such bill aims to boost business competitiveness, labor productivity as well as work efficiency.

PHOTO CREDIT: PhilStar

“These arrangements give employers and employees flexibility in fixing hours of work compatible with business requirements and the employees’ need for a balanced work-life,”Baguio City Rep. Mark Go, one of the bill’s authors, said in a statement.

If such measure is implemented by a company, employees can work four days a week but must render work up to 12 hours a day. However, if the employee renders beyond 48 hours of work a week, they will receive an overtime pay.

Moreover, employees get up to three days off under this set-up.

Employees are required to render 40 to 48 hours a week for five to six days under the current Labor Code. Such bill will amend Articles 93, 87, and 91 of the Labor Code.

It should be noted that the compressed work week is voluntary and will be an option aside from the current five- or six-day work week.

Netizens have mixed views on the said bill. Here are some of their reactions.

“THIS might be the BEST bill for all the working class in the goverment by far. If our goverment cannot provide a decent remuneration to the zealous Juans, most especially who are in the ranks, at least an extra day to catch up for the things that really matter (may it be family, passion or dreams) will break it even. Hi Mr. President, please seal the bill,” Michael Quezon commented.

John S. Alenciaga wrote: “The proposed bill is anti-worker but pro-capitalist. The decrease in working days is equivalent to reduction on input cost of capitalist. But also increases their income through additional working hours of the workers. But the workers on the other hand are now subjected to an increase rate of exploitation. They work more than they can accomplish that puts their health at risk aside from lower productivity as working hours increases.”

“The state should uphold security of tenure as a matter of national policy especially for firms operating in the long-run. Second, develop national industries that will prodivde direct benefits to the needs of our nation (becuse we cannot even produce our own toothpick!). Finally, the implementation of decent and living wage as a matter of respect for the contributions of workers to the economic well-being of our country.

Without that, the four-day work week is a sham, like the optional wearing of high heels,” Roxoanne Doron said.

-- Mini, The Summit Express

Philippines remains SEA basketball king, beats Indonesia for gold medal

MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas might played its worst in the semis against Singapore yesterday but showed a superb all-around basketball performance in its finals showdown against Indonesia to cop the South East Asian Men’s Basketball crown on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at the MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

CONGRATULATIONS, Gilas Pilipinas! Photo Credit: Sports5

Bobby Ray Parks Jr. had the last laugh against Tyler Lamb as Team Thailand fell short in the hands of Mario Wuysang and Team Indonesia during their semis duel. Nevertheless, it was still a high mountain to climb for Gilas Pilipinas in facing Indonesia in the SEA Games Men’s basketball finals.

Gilas Pilipinas had a bad night from the outside yesterday against Singapore. But tonight, Von Pessumal officially opened the finals showdown from the three point territory followed by Christian Standhardinger’s back-to-back two pointers.

Indonesia kept the game close through the impeccable court vision and leadership of ABL veteran Mario Wuysang. 12-9 in favor of Philippines with 5 more minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

Indo-American Arky Wisnu beat Kiefer Ravena and Troy Rosario off transition to claim the lead for the very first time. Carl Cruz however, drained a timely trey to bring the lead back to Gilas’ side.

Philippines’ barely survived the 1st period with a slim 4-point, 19-15 lead.

Both squads struggled to score baskets in the early phase of the 2nd quarter. Standhardinger initiated the attack midway of the second to post Philippines’ first double-digit, 30-17 lead. Notably, Gilas blitzed for 11-2 scoring run to improve its performance.

Mike Tolomia and Kiefer Ravena started to rain triples to surpass Philippines’ poor outside shooting against Indonesia in the semifinals. Tolomia alone matched Gilas’ total 3-pointers yesterday with 3.

Troy Rosario’s put back slam off Kobe Paras’ missed free throw ended the 1st half big time. 45-27 in favor of Gilas Pilipinas.

Gang rebounding was Gilas’ key to success in the 1st half at least that gave them a good margin. The nationals sustained it at the start of the 2nd half to maintain their lead.

A controversy occurred in the 6th minute of the third. Christian Standhardinger got fouled in the act of shooting and was awarded with free throws. The Fil-German made the first attempt but Indonesia quickly inbounded the ball and rushed to their goal. To Philippines’ surprise, the referees missed to give Standhardinger his 2nd foul shot. Despite the misfortune, Gilas still enjoyed a 20-point lead.

Good ball distribution was Philippines’ bread and butter in this game along with less turnovers. On the other hand, Indonesia was hit hard by bad luck as all players missed multiple shots. The Indonesians only scored 7 points in the 3rd quarter with 8 minutes gone by since the 2nd half started.

After 30 minutes of lopsided basketball, Philippines brought a 29-point, 68-39 lead to the final 10 minutes of the ballgame.

Indonesia literally needed a miracle in order to upset Philippines with just a full quarter to go. Indonesian Coach Wahyu Widayat Jati sensed that a comeback is almost impossible with his team downed by 30 plus points, so he opted to rest his superstars Mario Wuysang and Arki Wisnu and let the supporting cast finished the game.

Coach Jong Uichico did a great job in containing deadly Mario Wuysang and limited the guard to just 2 points. In the absence of Wuysang, Sandy Kurniawan took the helm and single-handedly moving Indonesia’s digits.

It was all Kobe Paras in the final canto. The young Paras made the crowd crazy as he displayed thunderous and emphatic dunks. The Filipinos cheered “Kobe! Kobe!” relentlessly as a sign of amusement and applause to the high-flying forward.

As the final horn echoed in the entire MABA stadium, Gilas Pilipinas swept the tournament and dismantled Indonesia to the tune of 94-55. Along with this, Philippines Men’s Basketball Team bagged its 17th gold medal in Southeast Asian Games history.

Congratulations, Gilas Pilipinas! Your countrymen are so proud of you! Laban Pilipinas! Puso!

-- Joey Boy Capos, The Summit Express

LIVESTREAM: Gilas Pilipinas vs Indonesia Finals SEA Games 2017

MANILA, Philippines - Gilas Pilipinas is now on the road for the Philippines' 18th basketball gold medal at the 2017 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. The national team will face tough opponent, Team Indonesia tonight, August 27 at the MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the finals matchup. Catch the conclusion of another journey of bringing honor to the country through livestream.

Gilas Pilipinas faces Indonesia in the 2017 SEA Games men's basketball finals. Photo Credit: Sports5

The defending champion of the biennial meet is still undefeated though the team actually struggled in some of their games - against Thailand and Singapore.

On Friday night, Gilas Pilipinas survived team Singapore’s scary scoring run to edge the latter in their semis duel, 68-60. Christian Standhardinger showed the Singaporeans how tough and formidable Gilas Pilipinas is as he registered a double-double: 13 points and 13 rebounds to help Gilas Pilipinas advance to the finals.

"Things will get more interesting from there. We have to bring our A-game and set our sights on winning the title," Gilas coach Jong Uichico said, according to ABS-CBN Sports.

The Indonesians also come in with a perfect mark, preserving their record by surviving Thailand in the other semifinal pairing.

The basketball finals at 8:15 p.m. is a rematch of the 2017 SEABA Championships. Gilas Pilipinas dominated that contest, 97-64, and moved on to the FIBA-Asia Cup.

Channel for Live Broadcast in the Philippines: TV5, AksyonTV

Watch Gilas Pilipinas vs. Indonesia on livestream courtesy of (http://sports.tv5.com.ph/live/sea-games-2017-live-stream).

Get live updates through Sports 5's coverage of 2017 SEA Games:

Tweets by Sports5PH
Good luck, Gilas Pilipinas! #PUSO

Secret to success is who you marry, study finds

Do you ever wonder what former US President Barrack Obama, music icon Beyonce Knowles and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg have in common?

Aside from being incredibly successful, these world influencers have supportive spouses who helped shaped who they are. Indeed, a study published by Carnegie Mellon University revealed that supportive relationships have links with willingness to pursue rewarding challenges.
To arrive at this conclusion, researchers looked into 163 married couples and their relationships. One member of each couple were given an option: either compete for a prize by giving a speech or just solve a puzzle.

Individuals with more supportive spouses were significantly more likely to choose the more challenging task, which is to compete for the prize. Meanwhile, individuals with spouses who discouraged them or expressed a lack of confidence chose to solve the simple puzzle.

Based on the results of the study, they found that individuals with supportive spouses were more likely to accept challenges and experienced more happiness, personal growth, psychological being, as well as better relationship functioning months later.

Brooke Feeney, a professor of psychology in CMU's Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and lead author of the study said: ”We found support for the idea that the choices people make at these specific decision points, such as pursuing a work opportunity...matter a lot for their long-term well-being.”

So how exactly can you help your partner become the next Obama, Zuckerberg or Knowles?

That dream may seem far-fetched but you can encourage your partner to embrace opportunities by reassuring them as well as expressing enthusiasm and talking about the potential benefits of the opportunity.

"Significant others can help you thrive through embracing life opportunities," Feeney explained.

"Or they can hinder your ability to thrive by making it less likely that you'll pursue opportunities for growth.”

-- Mini, The Summit Express

Samsung launches Galaxy Note 8 in the Philippines: specs, price, availability

MANILA, Philippines - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd officially launched their latest flagship device, the newest iteration of the Galaxy Note series, the Galaxy Note 8, on Thursday, August 24 at the Samsung Hall, SM Aura Premier in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Meet the new Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

With the new phablet, Samsung wants its consumers to 'do bigger things' as the Galaxy Note 8 offers exciting features such as enhanced S Pen, dual-lens smartphone camera, larger Infinity Display, among others.

“It is the unwavering loyalty of the Note community that has inspired and driven us to develop and design the new Galaxy Note,” said Rhinn Piczon, Business Unit head for IT & Mobile, Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation. “From the intelligent S Pen to the ultimate Dual Camera, the Galaxy Note8 lets people do bigger things than they ever thought possible.”

Samsung Philippines executives during the local launch of Galaxy Note8.

The enhanced S Pen unlocks entirely new ways to write, draw, and interact with the phone and communicate with friends. Users can now share animated texts or drawings across platforms that support animated GIFs (AGIF).

The Always On Display allows Galaxy users to stay on top of their notifications without unlocking their phone. And with the Galaxy Note8, it’s even more powerful. Screen off memo allows you to take up to one-hundred pages of notes as soon as you remove the S Pen, pin notes and make edits directly on the Always-On Display.

For overseas travels or when you come across a website in a foreign language, the improved S Pen Translate feature lets you hover over text to quickly translate not only individual words, but entire sentences in up to 71 languages, and instantly convert units and foreign currencies.

The Galaxy Note8 is equipped with two 12MP rear cameras with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) on both the wide-angle lens and the telephoto lens. The Live Focus feature lets you control the depth of field by allowing you to adjust the bokeh effect in preview mode and after you take the photo.

In Dual Capture mode, both rear cameras take two pictures simultaneously and allow you to save both images; one close-up shot from the telephoto lens and one wide-angle shot that shows the entire background.

The wide-angle lens has a Dual Pixel sensor with rapid Auto Focus, so you can capture sharper, clearer shots even in low-light environments. The Galaxy Note8 is also equipped with an industry-leading 8MP Smart Auto Focus front-facing camera for sharp selfies and video chats.

The Note 8 has a narrow body for more comfortable grip. It has 6.3-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display lets you see more and scroll less.

The big-screen smartphone also has these unique features: water and dust resistance (IP68), fast wirelesss charging, security (fingerprint scanning, biometri authentication), powerful performance (6 GB RAM, expandable memory up to 256 GB) and desktop experience through Samsung DeX.

Samsung Galaxy Note8 official specs:

• 6.3-inch 18.5:9 Super AMOLED Infinity Display @ 2960 x 1440 px, 522ppi
• 2.4GHz Octa-Core Samsung Exynos 8895 chip
• Mali-G71 GPU
• 6GB RAM
• 64GB UFS 2.1 internal storage
• expandable via microSD up to 256GB (uses SIM2)
• 12MP f/1.7 DualPixel +12MP f/2.4 TelePhoto dual rear cameras: OIS, Dual Tone LED Flash
• 8MP front camera
• 4G LTE
• Dual SIM, Dual Standby (hybrid)
• WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
• Bluetooth 5.0
• Fingerprint Scanner
• Iris Scanner
• Face Recognition Scanner
• USB Type-C
• IP68 Dust and Water Resistance
• S-Pen
• Samsung Bixby AI
• Samsung TouchWiz UI (Android 7.1.1 Nougat)
• 3300mAh battery (nonremovable)
• 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6mm (dimensions)
• 149g (weight)

The Korean giant has promised not to repeat the fate of the Note predecessor through its 8-Point Battery Safety Check—the most rigorous in the industry.

"We have been closely working with Samsung to make meaningful advancements in the science of smartphone quality and safety evaluation. As a result, the Galaxy Note8 has successfully completed a rigorous series of device and battery safety compatibility test protocols. We look forward to maintaining our strategic relationship with Samsung to help ensure device safety for all consumers,” said Sajeev Jesudas, President, UL International, a global independent safety science company with more than a century of expertise innovating safety solutions.

The Galaxy Note8 will be available for pre-order starting September 8 until September 17 at Samsung Experience Store, authorized dealers and online store like Lazada. Samsung offers free AKG speaker worth Php7,990 during the preorder period.

It will be offered in Midnight Black and Maple Gold. As reported, units will be available by September 29.