Pinoy Buzz

Trudeau outraged by cold-blooded murder of Canadian hostage in the Philippines

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">On Tuesday, April 26, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his outrage over the brutal killing of Canadian mining executive John Ridsdel by Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group in the Philippines with ties to Islamic State jidahists,<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE3disUttD_G9MWv551gAYHJfHr1VA2aNqiFLddrfqsMbxlJ_PJWTqIE9z_oKNdLKcy0FxdhdMojarE0WhO2qaed9Yv_7DFxNSKBeDrr6ucmmN2M-H-meqcnT8Cz049jDcxNn7rVdT6HH/s1600/canadian-hostage-john-ridsdel.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Trudeau outraged by cold-blooded murder of Canadian hostage in the Philippines" border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE3disUttD_G9MWv551gAYHJfHr1VA2aNqiFLddrfqsMbxlJ_PJWTqIE9z_oKNdLKcy0FxdhdMojarE0WhO2qaed9Yv_7DFxNSKBeDrr6ucmmN2M-H-meqcnT8Cz049jDcxNn7rVdT6HH/s640/canadian-hostage-john-ridsdel.jpg" title="Trudeau outraged by cold-blooded murder of Canadian hostage in the Philippines" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the death of citizen John Ridsdel as<br />“an act of cold-blood murder.” <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">PHOTO CREDIT: Dnaindia.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The 68-year-old citizen from Alberta, Canada was among the four tourists abducted last September 21 by the militant group from a resort on southern Samal Island. Canadian Robert Hall, Norwegian resort manager Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipina Marites Flor were also kidnapped along with Ridsdel.<br /><br />The Islamist militants earlier released a video showing Ridsdel and the other captives on November. They demanded a ransom of $80 million and threatened to kill one of the hostages if no ransom was paid by April 25 at 3pm.<br /><br />On Monday, April 25, the decapitated head of Ridsdel placed inside a plastic bag was recovered along a street in Jolo just hours after the ransom deadline expired. The police claim that two men on a motorcycle left the bag in the area and fled.<br /><br />Calling Ridsdel’s death as “an act of cold-blooded murder”, Trudeau posted his official statement on the incident on his Facebook account.<br /><br />“Canada condemns without reservation the brutality of the hostage-takers, and this unnecessary death. This was an act of cold blooded murder and responsibility rests squarely with the terrorist group who took him hostage," Trudeau wrote.<br /><br />According to Trudeau, Canada is working with the Philippine government and international partners to hunt down the people behind the “henious act”.<br /><br />Founded in the 1990s with seed money from Al-Qaeda, the Abu Sayyaf is notorious for kidnapping foreigners in exchange for millions of dollars in ransom. The group, which recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, was responsible for the worst terrorist attack in the Philippines such as the firebombing of a ferry off Manila Bay in 2004.<br /><br /><b>--Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

Trudeau outraged by cold-blooded murder of Canadian hostage in the Philippines

On Tuesday, April 26, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his outrage over the brutal killing of Canadian mining executive John...

LOOK: Kris Aquino posts summary of tax payments on Instagram

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines- Presidential sister Kris Aquino is once again embroiled in another controversy after posting a summary her tax payments on Instagram.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghz7mNgfw5ecr60A0DCG4QTqh7TRZmDe8fGsdkq1BtlaZot_OiUZDJORrMUkaz7vVogffPLmvjLYkyllYfTVSTF3rl0tdoiYE1ChyA_Ahg5ORYOmibVZJKpDC_bw8VPY17CPaXokXe0SYw/s1600/kris-aquino-instagram-tax-payments.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Kris Aquino posts summary of tax payments on Instagram" border="0" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghz7mNgfw5ecr60A0DCG4QTqh7TRZmDe8fGsdkq1BtlaZot_OiUZDJORrMUkaz7vVogffPLmvjLYkyllYfTVSTF3rl0tdoiYE1ChyA_Ahg5ORYOmibVZJKpDC_bw8VPY17CPaXokXe0SYw/s640/kris-aquino-instagram-tax-payments.jpg" title=" Kris Aquino posts summary of tax payments on Instagram" width="560" /></a></div><br />The controversial social media post drew negative reactions from netizens who earlier lambasted the TV-host actress for riding the presidential chopper on her way to a Liberal Party sortie in Cebu. Kris and her family were accused of using government resources in campaigning for administration bets former DILG Chief Mar Roxas and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo.<br /><br />On Saturday, April 23, the 41-year-old celebrity shared data from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) which revealed the amount of her tax payments and her ranking as top taxpayer since 2008. Kris captioned the controversial post with the hashtags ‘truth’ and ‘honest taxpayer’.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Jdn2oXKm_gAFld29NK0Y2kM4H8URFNfxQHiycSIZ1P6CSoaRx3kcVEtm2sxQHhHsLbuClgdwscwxdKV7sjmlynC6p8jo2EmJD1mtGF4IzfGSYM5lMzkE_rCE_VuCXmmjuXVVQajtJdKT/s1600/kris-aquino-instagram.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kris Aquino Instagram posts" border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Jdn2oXKm_gAFld29NK0Y2kM4H8URFNfxQHiycSIZ1P6CSoaRx3kcVEtm2sxQHhHsLbuClgdwscwxdKV7sjmlynC6p8jo2EmJD1mtGF4IzfGSYM5lMzkE_rCE_VuCXmmjuXVVQajtJdKT/s640/kris-aquino-instagram.JPG" title="Kris Aquino Instagram posts" width="600" /></a></div><br />In a separate post, the presidential sister shared a photo of her and sons Joshua and Bimby with brother President Benigno Aquino III with the caption “Because we are #FAMILY.”<br /><br />The former Kapamilya actress’s post appears to have angered netizens who pointed out that Kris didn’t need to brag about the amount of money she pays for tax. According to them, Kris has a higher wage so it would only be logical that she pays higher tax. <br /><br />“My tax is as important as yours. Your tax is important as hers. Tax is not a payment, it's a contribution. In essence, no tax is small or big,” netizen karlothegreat commented on her Instagram post. <br /><br />Earlier, President Aquino defended his younger sister from critics and stressed that Kris is among the country’s top taxpayers.<br /><br />“Whether it is an individual taxpayer or someone who is very close to me who shared all of the burdens, I think it is just proper to share the successes. Share kami sa hirap, share kami sa successes,” Aquino said in a statement.<br /><br />While Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma earlier claimed that Kris has the privilege to ride official government vehicles with President Aquino, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced that it will investigate her use of government property in campaigning.<br /><br /><b>--Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

LOOK: Kris Aquino posts summary of tax payments on Instagram

MANILA, Philippines- Presidential sister Kris Aquino is once again embroiled in another controversy after posting a summary her tax payments...

Did Mar Roxas receive leakage from ABS-CBN?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas II has been accused of receiving questions from ABS-CBN prior to the third presidential debates held on Sunday, April 24.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnDzrfhc6SM-ksh0Sih7H1ls2utjJdwKIh0MXu2Zw_o5yyc0qJEz1Enktfj0nK8hliB7EcGJ64KDSd-pgZ2vuULFVJt_uK0z42hv4sZsl_7Uvi4bGhEOkTM9VHTImRD-7D0b1lNyi0LUT/s1600/mar-roxas-scripted-answers-debate.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Netizens ask ABS-CBN on alleged debate leakage." border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnDzrfhc6SM-ksh0Sih7H1ls2utjJdwKIh0MXu2Zw_o5yyc0qJEz1Enktfj0nK8hliB7EcGJ64KDSd-pgZ2vuULFVJt_uK0z42hv4sZsl_7Uvi4bGhEOkTM9VHTImRD-7D0b1lNyi0LUT/s640/mar-roxas-scripted-answers-debate.jpg" title="Netizens ask ABS-CBN on alleged debate leakage." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"> Netizens ask ABS-CBN on alleged cheating during the debate. Photo screengrab from Youtube.</td></tr></tbody></table>According to netizens who alleged presidential debates host ABS-CBN of conspiring with Roxas, questions were apparently leaked as Roxas seemed more prepared compared to his opponents and was able to cite specific data and case studies. Moreover, netizens noted that Roxas received questions that built his character and reputation. <br /><br />“While Miriam Santiago groped for answers, many debate observers noticed how Mar answered the questions so eloquently with all the facts and figures to support his arguments and fitting the time allotted to him,” according to an article of a <a href="http://aboutstuff-stuff.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">blogsite</a>.<br /><br />Moreover, a certain Nylede Flores uploaded a video flashing the caption for Roxas’ statement which appeared just before he delivered it. The said video is no longer available as of this writing due to a copyright claim by ABS-CBN.<br /><br />In the video, a few seconds before Roxas stated: “Sa karanasan, binabangga ko ang mga malalaking interes…,” the caption: “Roxas: Binangga ko ang mga malalaking interes.” was displayed on screen. Critics of Roxas insisted that this would only be possible if the chargen operator received a copy of Roxas’ answers to the debate questions in advance.<br /><br />“So, what possibly happened was 1.) the Roxas camp was given a leak of the questions to be asked; 2) the Roxas camp prepared answers to the questions; 3) the prepared answers were given to the technical group handling the coverage thus allowing the chargen operator to type the blurbs and post these almost simultaneously with Roxas’ answers,”  political writer and former North Cotabato governor Manny Piñol wrote on his Facebook page.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowtransparency="“true”" frameborder="0" height="354" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpermalink.php%3Fstory_fbid%3D1010116299070839%26id%3D351448724937603&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe></center><br />However, an article for Fight for Mar dispelled netizens’ allegations that Roxas cheated during the presidential debate. <br /><br />“The video attached ONLY shows Mar saying it the second time as he concluded his statement. He started with the same phrase. It was only at the end when the text appeared,” the article said. <br /><br />Moreover, the article pointed out that Mar confidently answered the debate questions since he had discussed the same issues such as internet access, institutionalized scholarships, clean energy, justice system, transportation and other issues in the past.<br /><br />Do you think Mar Roxas was given questions prior to the debate? Watch the video replay (head over to 2:11:00 to 2:11:33).<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/950g5hwtAv8" width="600"></iframe></center><b><br /></b><b>--Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

Did Mar Roxas receive leakage from ABS-CBN?

MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas II has been accused of receiving questions from ABS-CBN prior to the third pre...

Duterte widens lead; Robredo zooms to No. 1, tied with Marcos - SWS

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Despite drawing flak over his rape joke involving an Australian lay minister killed in a 1989 prison riot, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has pulled away in the presidential race, according to the latest BusinessWorld-Social Weather Stations (SWS) pre-election survey.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaPF7bzIAm0bXIBj4-IWXTiXAcBAaissZBnIie5ZcEkmWInYe0r0hA64QM6NBxkeswG1pMf6KaedwV16yrk4dRuub2iacna18DNxB6e38Kp_fDGlJiPiTvG8o8kFyAyodbfvanNSmzij2/s1600/duterte-robredo-marcos.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Duterte widens lead; Robredo zooms to No. 1, tied with Marcos" border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaPF7bzIAm0bXIBj4-IWXTiXAcBAaissZBnIie5ZcEkmWInYe0r0hA64QM6NBxkeswG1pMf6KaedwV16yrk4dRuub2iacna18DNxB6e38Kp_fDGlJiPiTvG8o8kFyAyodbfvanNSmzij2/s640/duterte-robredo-marcos.jpg" title="Duterte widens lead; Robredo zooms to No. 1, tied with Marcos" width="560" /></a></div><br />The survey which used sample size of 1,800 validated voters, conducted from April 18-20  (with sampling error margins of ±2 points) revealed that Duterte's voter preference rating rise to 33%. In the previous survey held on March 30-April 2, he had 27% rating.<br /><br />The Davao City Mayor's spokesperson Peter Tiu Laviña told BusinessWorld “this is most encouraging result given that the black propaganda against Duterte intensified during this period.”<br /><br />“This only affirms the strong clamor of our people for genuine change. Duterte has become a rallying symbol for all classes -- poor, middle and rich -- long fed up with ‘trapos’ messing up our country. We shall make use of the support of our people as inspiration to ensure their victory on May 9,” Mr. Laviña said in a text message, using the Filipino word for “rag” that has been adopted to refer to “traditional politicians”.<br /><br />Erstwhile frontrunner Sen. Grace Poe got 24% voter preference rating, up one percentage point from previous poll.<br /><br />Liberal Party's standard bearer Mar Roxas secured the third spot while Vice-President Jejomar Binay dropped to fourth place with 14%.<br /><br />Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is still in fifth place with 2%.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vAJzHZkMetNxoBR6_RejdxIyAkb9KHgxegAKlQwzEQfpUToFgF4kpUFTxtXrK3rgZVDyN-VVz-orynMM8BrctlmzKfW3i_YHKh5rH0bumr9BMXzkGxd99nhHctYyoi7o3USiPJKTgNt7/s1600/duterte-pulls-away.png" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Duterte pulls away in the latest SWS survey." border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vAJzHZkMetNxoBR6_RejdxIyAkb9KHgxegAKlQwzEQfpUToFgF4kpUFTxtXrK3rgZVDyN-VVz-orynMM8BrctlmzKfW3i_YHKh5rH0bumr9BMXzkGxd99nhHctYyoi7o3USiPJKTgNt7/s640/duterte-pulls-away.png" title="Duterte pulls away in the latest SWS survey." width="600" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duterte pulls away in the latest SWS survey. Photo Credit: BusinessWorldOnline</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>Robredro, Marcos tied for VP</b><br /><br />The widow of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo has gained significant numbers as compared to the previous poll.<br /><br />Leni Robredo zoomed to the top spot garnering 26% of votes, up by seven percent and in statistical tie with Senator Bongbong Marcos with 25%.<br /><br />Sen. Francis Escudero dropped to third place with 18%, followed by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano with 16%.<br /><br />Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV received 5%, while Sen. Gregorio Honasan II has a 2% voter preference rating.<br /><br /><b>Senatorial race</b><br /><br />The same survey also showed that reelectionist Senate President Franklin M. Drilon (LP) and Senator Vicente C. Sotto III (Nationalist People’s Coalition) are still in the running for the top two seats in the Senate out of the 12 up for grabs on May 9 polls.<br /><br />Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao managed to get the third spot, followed by Francis Pangilinan, Panfilo Lacson, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima, Joel Villanueva,  Sergio Osmena III,  and Richard Gordon.<br /><br />Reelectionist Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph G. Recto (LP) is tied at 12th-13th place with Valenzuela City 1st District Rep. Sherwin T. Gatchalian (NPC).</div>

Duterte widens lead; Robredo zooms to No. 1, tied with Marcos - SWS

MANILA, Philippines - Despite drawing flak over his rape joke involving an Australian lay minister killed in a 1989 prison riot, Davao City ...

PGT 5 Semis Results: UA Mindanao, Amazing Pyra advance to the Grand Finals

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Motocross performers UA Mindanao and fire dancer Amazing Pyra managed to advance to the grand finals of Pilipinas Got Talent (PGT) Season 5 as announced during the third weekly results night on Sunday, April 24, 2016.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbwA-m9Vy_A74LrrGB2PKWrL8KwcCT-MGQ-Ho1aX7_Tku6jfTJlBCtZB7XTA5zz3lJDmLYosNCSiUURapzA-55ZKD_yU8mHFPiH_V9SreiXTZaaTv0jDVORCbMpnYIFOVGI96wQAYffNq/s1600/UA-Pyra-PGT.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UA Mindanao, Amazing Pyra advance to the Grand Finals" border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihbwA-m9Vy_A74LrrGB2PKWrL8KwcCT-MGQ-Ho1aX7_Tku6jfTJlBCtZB7XTA5zz3lJDmLYosNCSiUURapzA-55ZKD_yU8mHFPiH_V9SreiXTZaaTv0jDVORCbMpnYIFOVGI96wQAYffNq/s640/UA-Pyra-PGT.jpg" title="UA Mindanao, Amazing Pyra advance to the Grand Finals" width="560" /></a></div><br />UA Mindanao who amazed the judges on their stunts, got the highest percentage of votes, a whooping 45.12%, automatically sending them to the grand finals.<br /><br />The 20-year old dancer from Antipolo City on the other hand has received the judges' votes after Vice Ganda, Freddie M. Garcia and Angel Locsin picked him for the next round slot. Judge Robin Padilla has voted for light performance dance group F.A. Flow Circle.<br /><br />Amazing Pyra and UA Mindanao bested other semi-finalists Flairtending Duo "Liquid Concepts," light performance dance group F.A. Flow Circle, Legendary Fire Artists and Likhain Dance Troupe.<br /><br />Hosted by Luis Manzano and Billy Crawford, "Pilipinas Got Talent" airs Saturdays after "Home Sweetie Home" and Sundays after "Wansapanataym."<br /><br />Do you agree with the results of third PGT 5 semi-finals week?</div>

PGT 5 Semis Results: UA Mindanao, Amazing Pyra advance to the Grand Finals

MANILA, Philippines - Motocross performers UA Mindanao and fire dancer Amazing Pyra managed to advance to the grand finals of Pilipinas Got ...

FULL VIDEO REPLAY: Comelec-ABS-CBN 3rd PiliPinas Debates 2016

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - All five candidates have attended the third and final presidential debate dubbed as "PiliPinas Debates 2016" at the Phinma-University of Pangasinan in Dagupan City on Sunday, April 24, 2016. The full video replay of this townhall debate courtesy of ABS-CBN is available on this page.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSdIhS2n7x8HMcxWqsYQck6DJkWMStVVocJefTRg5x527mLHK5Fc_QDQrNtbV-DjzzXmsH7S9iP9iNF2iV4xfyjk8TPMeknDW5OrPRAT8JwfBO2RrPFvS5neQ8cC48W3p-o9roS1DpHxA/s1600/pilipinas-debates-2016-replay.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSdIhS2n7x8HMcxWqsYQck6DJkWMStVVocJefTRg5x527mLHK5Fc_QDQrNtbV-DjzzXmsH7S9iP9iNF2iV4xfyjk8TPMeknDW5OrPRAT8JwfBO2RrPFvS5neQ8cC48W3p-o9roS1DpHxA/s640/pilipinas-debates-2016-replay.JPG" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Manila Bulletin</td></tr></tbody></table>Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Grace Poe, and former Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas battled for the last time in the Luzon leg of the PiliPinas 2016 Debate series.<br /><br /><b>WATCH: Here's the full video replay of PiliPinas Debates 2016 (video courtesy of ABS-CBN).</b><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="330" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4xmWLEf3ap4" width="600"></iframe></center><br />Issues that were tackled in the debate include metro traffic and public transport, job security, health, foreign policy, basic public education, OFW concerns, and peace for Mindanaoans in conflict areas. <br /><br />In the “Face-Off” round, candidates were given a chance to pose questions to a fellow candidate. In the Fast Talk segment, presidential bets gave their quick opinion and answer on some relevant issues.<br /><br />ABS-CBN, Manila Bulletin, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) have partnered to set the final showdown of Presidential Town Hall Debate series two weeks before the May 9 elections.<br /><br />Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said he hoped the event will become a regular addition in future elections. “It will now become a tradition that will also be observed in succeeding elections,” Bautista said.<br /><br />“The Dagupan debate is the most proximate to the election day and I am sure whatever will transpire will have more influence in the minds of the voters,” KBP Board Chairman Herman Basbaño said.<br /><br />On February 21, the first run of the debate series held at Cagayan de Oro City was organized by GMA-7. On March 20, TV5 staged the debate at the University of the Philippines (UP)-Cebu. The latter became controversial due to misunderstanding of rules between a candidate and TV5.<br /><br />Who do you think won the third and final #PiliPinasDebates2016? Express your thoughts in the comment section below.</div>

FULL VIDEO REPLAY: Comelec-ABS-CBN 3rd PiliPinas Debates 2016

MANILA, Philippines - All five candidates have attended the third and final presidential debate dubbed as "PiliPinas Debates 2016"...

LIVESTREAM: 3rd and Final PiliPinas Debates 2016 on ABS-CBN video now up

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - The third and final leg of presidential debate dubbed as "PiliPinas Debates 2016" happens today, April 24, 2016 at the Student Plaza of Phinma-University of Pangasinan in Dagupan City. ABS-CBN, the broadcast partner mounts full livestream of this townhall debate.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmbH88spzVy3bM7uRBSTU7cahc-XXbR5xh5A_h8GTY0IeeHwvjKG-IbBByvkmldgXODLHbh1ruAdfle2hwqleQLvPDhwoyvF3W18pn_YvmLzy7750b5euvsL0YTDUto0a1MSEniK6M4-I/s1600/PiliPinas-Debates-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3rd and Final PiliPinas Debates 2016 on ABS-CBN video now up" border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmbH88spzVy3bM7uRBSTU7cahc-XXbR5xh5A_h8GTY0IeeHwvjKG-IbBByvkmldgXODLHbh1ruAdfle2hwqleQLvPDhwoyvF3W18pn_YvmLzy7750b5euvsL0YTDUto0a1MSEniK6M4-I/s640/PiliPinas-Debates-2016.jpg" title="3rd and Final PiliPinas Debates 2016 on ABS-CBN video now up" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br />ABS-CBN, Manila Bulletin, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) set the final showdown of PiliPinas 2016 Presidential Town Hall Debate series two weeks before the May 9 elections.<br /><br />Catch the livestream of third Pilipinas Debates 2016 at the University of Pangasinan here (news.abs-cbn.com/live):<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="330" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/950g5hwtAv8" width="600"></iframe></center><br />The pre-program will air at 5:45 p.m. on ABS-CBN. Debate proper begins at 6 p.m. There will also be a “HALALAN 2016 Debate Special” on ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel, DZMM/Teleradyo, and News.abs-cbn.com beginning 5pm that will provide in-depth analysis before and after the debate.<br /><br />Note: The full video replay courtesy of ABS-CBN will be available on this page later.<br /><br />Meanwhile, here's the live Twitter feed for the final presidential debate for the 2016 elections:<br /><br /><center><a class="twitter-timeline" data-widget-id="724094222488346624" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PiliPinasDebates2016" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#PiliPinasDebates2016 Tweets</a><br /><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+"://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script></center><br /><b>All presidential candidates will share the stage for the last time</b><br /><br />ABS-CBN Integrated News and Current Affairs chief Regina Reyes has confirmed that all five presidential candidates will attend the debate.<br /><br />Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Grace Poe, and former Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas have all agreed to the format and mechanics of the Luzon leg of the Pili Pinas 2016 Debate series.<br /><br />Miriam who skipped the Visayas leg due to health reason will show up this time. "Oh yeah I will be there!" she told reporters during the commencement exercise at Bulacan State University.<br /><br /><b>Presidential debates topics, format</b><br /><br />Reyes said the Comelec debate will use <b>townhall format</b> as this would allow regular people to ask the candidates of some pressing issues of the society.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdfnLU3aAqCKAzrayIOb80EVqP_GXghLLJQpMk-H2Kyz3qPCj8oEGFKwmdBb7RLIYPiBt8-fRHTlH7-Wi-a2WE0oZql-9DzcHDpKwy_N4a1pm4bFuTnxucxEK1562aVDd-8tsdlJiAJto/s1600/PiliPinas-debates-2016-abs-cbn.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="presidential townhall debate" border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdfnLU3aAqCKAzrayIOb80EVqP_GXghLLJQpMk-H2Kyz3qPCj8oEGFKwmdBb7RLIYPiBt8-fRHTlH7-Wi-a2WE0oZql-9DzcHDpKwy_N4a1pm4bFuTnxucxEK1562aVDd-8tsdlJiAJto/s640/PiliPinas-debates-2016-abs-cbn.JPG" title="presidential townhall debate" width="560" /></a></div><br />The topics were carefully selected from entries submitted by the general public to ABS-CBN.<br /><br />Issues that will be tackled in the debate include metro traffic and public transport, job security, health, foreign policy, basic public education, OFW concerns, and peace for Mindanaoans in conflict areas. There will also be a “Face-Off,” where a candidate will pose questions to a fellow candidate.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xjm2zPGwP7k" width="560"></iframe></center><br />“We are dubbing it (the debate) as Harapan ng Taong Bayan, where real people with real issues will be able to participate,” ABS-CBN News department representative Francis Toral said.<br /><br />ABS-CBN’s top news anchors Karen Davila and Tony Velasquez will moderate the town hall debate.<br /><br /><b>Debate to be aired live abroad</b><br /><br />This final presidential debate will make use of an open-field venue and be aired abroad live for the first time via ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel (TFC). It will also be available via iWantTV.<br /><br />ABS-CBN's presidential debate which run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. It will also be shown online via live streaming services of Manila Bulletin and ABS-CBN’s online sites.<br /><br /><b>Feedback for the Comelec debate</b><br /><br />Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said he hoped the event will become a regular addition in future elections. “It will now become a tradition that will also be observed in succeeding elections,” Bautista said.<br /><br />“The Dagupan debate is the most proximate to the election day and I am sure whatever will transpire will have more influence in the minds of the voters,” KBP Board Chairman Herman Basbaño said.<br /><br />On February 21, the first run of the debate series held at Cagayan de Oro City was organized by GMA-7. On March 20, TV5 staged the debate at the University of the Philippines (UP)-Cebu. The latter became controversial due to misunderstanding of rules between a candidate and TV5.<br /><br />Who will dominate the third and final #PiliPinasDebates2016? Express your thoughts in the comment section below.</div>

LIVESTREAM: 3rd and Final PiliPinas Debates 2016 on ABS-CBN video now up

MANILA, Philippines - The third and final leg of presidential debate dubbed as "PiliPinas Debates 2016" happens today, April 24, 2...

VIDEO: Ryan Gallager sings "Narito" on I Love OPM Finale

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Balladeer Ryan Gallager from United States has impressed the judges on his soulful rendition of Gary Valenciano's "Narito" in the grand finals night on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Resorts World Manila.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rkNku6yY-Ztng0XbmNvsnwAZjhJW2f0BjjATbSJDgp8nMJytfEpQnkW5B6RY6D0rOj5DSeV9EeX3j8dtEurNZDsVGut-rApX4uo2NswAFKSt3reFE7pVNOGIXSwz98pch-dpSY7Daz0W/s1600/Ryan-Gallager-i-love-opm-grand-finals.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ryan Gallager sings "Narito" on I Love OPM Finale" border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rkNku6yY-Ztng0XbmNvsnwAZjhJW2f0BjjATbSJDgp8nMJytfEpQnkW5B6RY6D0rOj5DSeV9EeX3j8dtEurNZDsVGut-rApX4uo2NswAFKSt3reFE7pVNOGIXSwz98pch-dpSY7Daz0W/s640/Ryan-Gallager-i-love-opm-grand-finals.jpg" title="Ryan Gallager sings "Narito" on I Love OPM Finale" width="560" /></a></div><br />Ryan's performance with the Mandaluyong Children's Choir earned praises not only on his powerful voice but on his golden heart for the kids.<br /><br />"Dahil sa OPM, I've got an inside look into what people's hearts here feel like cause I find homes for children," Ryan said.<br /><br />"Hindi lang kami na-touch. Ramdam namin ang sincerity mo habang kasama ang mga bata. We're happy you are here in the grand destination" Himigration Officer Lani Misalucha has commented.<br /><br />"Ang sarap mo panoorin sa entablado. Ang sarap mo din paglihian. Yung consistency ng husay mo at paghit mo ng mga notes," judge Toni Gonzaga said.<br /><br />"You definitely have the highest range. Dreams do come true and tonight, it will happen to you," judge Martin Nievera added.<br /><br />WATCH: I Love OPM Finale: Ryan Gallagher - "Narito" by Gary Valenciano (<a href="http://entertainment2.abs-cbn.com/tv/shows/iloveopm/videos/2016/04/23/5842316-i-love-opm-finale-ryan-gallagher-narito-by-gary-valenciano" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">video courtesy of ABS-CBN</a>).<br /><br />Here's how to support for Ryan Gallager.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="492" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Filoveopm%2Fposts%2F1162833290402420%3A0&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe></center>Did you like Ryan Gallager's performance. Tell us in the comment section below.</div>

VIDEO: Ryan Gallager sings "Narito" on I Love OPM Finale

MANILA, Philippines - Balladeer Ryan Gallager from United States has impressed the judges on his soulful rendition of Gary Valenciano's ...

Grand Touristar: Yohan Hwang wins "I Love OPM"

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Yohan Hwang from Korea was named first-ever Grand Touristar of ABS-CBN’s original singing competition for 100% non-Filipinos who love OPM music, “I Love OPM.”<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8qFosvYAzlrL9SqPY7RKOCrPw9VquSGB-XcxqKHjnO2Lxu2djJnqdBft9GkuwXaSXI9dszqtG8_4AIG1JhbwgAnwUB2StSU_D91pIs4_AYnE7vXw9F0Xwnod5nIcJxkZvh5u_DyDu_kI/s1600/yohan-hwang.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8qFosvYAzlrL9SqPY7RKOCrPw9VquSGB-XcxqKHjnO2Lxu2djJnqdBft9GkuwXaSXI9dszqtG8_4AIG1JhbwgAnwUB2StSU_D91pIs4_AYnE7vXw9F0Xwnod5nIcJxkZvh5u_DyDu_kI/s640/yohan-hwang.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><br />In the "Grand Destination' episode on Saturday, April 23, Yohan edged out other finalists Dio Smith from Pakistan, Ryan Gallagher from U.S.A., and and J-Morning also from Korea.<br /><br />The top 4 artists sing their hearts out in singing OPM songs but Yohan got the coveted Kababayan votes ( text and online votes).<br /><br />The Himigration officers composed of Lani Misalucha, Martin Nievera and Toni Gonzaga also gave Yohan the highest percentage of votes.<br /><br />The winner was decided from the combined votes from the judges and the public. Yohan got the highest votes of 32.82% while J Morning ranked second with 23.42%. Ryan and Dio placed third and fourth,23.27% and 20.50% respectively.<br /><br />As a Grand Touristar, Yohan will receive two million pesos in cash, recording contract with Star Music and vacation package to Cebu.</div>

Grand Touristar: Yohan Hwang wins "I Love OPM"

MANILA, Philippines - Yohan Hwang from Korea was named first-ever Grand Touristar of ABS-CBN’s original singing competition for 100% non-Fil...

"I Love OPM" Grand Finals Recap, performances and video

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Who will be the first grand Touristar of "I Love OPM"?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyQz2WZuhNukOW_DmrXmpz0iF6Gpu722i7Axvq76-XLGSLHYqqMR3yrOoW8KO4NZY9MN10C2U_m9sTpmdV7DGdcVH8JsD6ZDcNvo28smWyoIswpDMI80W7_UitKRP2mo1LjrUEYhh-sJs/s1600/i-love-opm.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=""I Love OPM" Grand Finals Recap, performances and videos" border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyQz2WZuhNukOW_DmrXmpz0iF6Gpu722i7Axvq76-XLGSLHYqqMR3yrOoW8KO4NZY9MN10C2U_m9sTpmdV7DGdcVH8JsD6ZDcNvo28smWyoIswpDMI80W7_UitKRP2mo1LjrUEYhh-sJs/s640/i-love-opm.jpg" title=""I Love OPM" Grand Finals Recap, performances and videos" width="560" /></a></div><br />The top 4 Touristars Dio Smith from Pakistan, Ryan Gallagher from U.S.A., and Yohan Hwang and J-Morning from Korea battled to become the first Grand Touristar of ABS-CBN’s original singing competition for 100% non-Filipinos who love OPM music, “I Love OPM.”<br /><br />On Saturday's "Grand Destination" episode, the final showdown began at the Resorts World Manila. Check out the full recap, highlights of performances and videos here.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t0n1l3qbmGM" width="560"></iframe></center><br />Watch as these four sing their hearts out in singing OPM songs to win the coveted Kababayan votes. This time, the whole country gets the chance to pick who they think deserves to be the winner as the public can vote through text and through online. <br /><br />Public votes will comprise to 50% while judges' votes to another 50% of total score. Voting will open after all the performances.<br /><br />The Grand Touristar will receive two million pesos in cash, recording contract with Star Music and vacation package to Cebu.<br /><br />“I Love OPM’s” resident rakista Dio has consistently captured the essence of Pinoy rock energizing the crowd with his performances. Himigration Officer Lani Misalucha confirmed Dio’s rockstar status and said, “no doubt about it, you truly make us happy and proud when it comes to rock and roll.”<br /><br />Yohan, meanwhile, has always been the teen charmer. He not only uses his killer smile to win over the audience but his smooth voice also enabled him to give remarkable performances. In order to win it, Himigration Officer Martin Nievera offered some personal advice. He quipped, “take it from me, cute is not forever, so level up your singing and your performances.”<br /><br />On the other hand, soulful balladeer Ryan never fails to infuse emotion in the powerful songs he sings throughout the competition. Ryan even made a believer out of Himigration Officer Lani.<br /><br />“I was unsure about Ryan the first two rounds but he showed us he belongs here; he showed me how good he really is,” she said.<br /><br />Lastly, “K-rock” band J-Morning never fails to add their own flavor to the songs they sing making unique renditions of popular Pinoy hits.<br /><br />“Everytime you step on stage, you choose songs from different genres giving us a different experience each time,” said Himigration Officer Toni Gonzaga who was very impressed with their originality.<br /><br />Who among the four will win the Kababayans hearts? Who will be crowned “Grand Touristar”?<br /><br />OPM singers Arnel Pineda and Randy Santiago opened the finale as they performed Hajji Alejandro's "Kayganda ng Ating Musika."<br /><br />Here's the live feed of "I Love OPM" grand finale:<br /><br /><center><a class="twitter-timeline" data-widget-id="723883827311992832" href="https://twitter.com/iloveopmtv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tweets by @iloveopmtv</a><br /><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+"://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script></center></div>

"I Love OPM" Grand Finals Recap, performances and video

MANILA, Philippines - Who will be the first grand Touristar of "I Love OPM"? The top 4 Touristars Dio Smith from Pakistan, Ryan Ga...

List of Passers: Civil service exam results April 17, 2016 CSE-PPT

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The Civil Service Commission(CSC) released results of April 17, 2016 Civil Service Exam - Paper and Pencil Test (CSE-PPT) also known as Career service examination for Professional and sub-professional levels. The full list of passers out of more than 100,000 registered examinees will be available here as we update this webpage.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnEG1U9CUFGvK41NR1RQscbdv4XiOXIm0QLrX_KBoxRESoGyepvaUvF7ggxLc_ZzBzILoJ_yoFdA1xEWqgqGfsVdrVh_73URCVmVUYAjnezKX7JYvd80vRA6h89_RyxGBE8V28lcR4Wdq/s1600/cse-ppt-results-april-17-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Civil service exam results April 17, 2016 CSE-PPT" border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnEG1U9CUFGvK41NR1RQscbdv4XiOXIm0QLrX_KBoxRESoGyepvaUvF7ggxLc_ZzBzILoJ_yoFdA1xEWqgqGfsVdrVh_73URCVmVUYAjnezKX7JYvd80vRA6h89_RyxGBE8V28lcR4Wdq/s640/cse-ppt-results-april-17-2016.jpg" title="Civil service exam results April 17, 2016 CSE-PPT" width="560" /></a></div><br />CSC announced that passers who got at least 80 percent score will be eligible for the first and second level positions in the civil service provided the eligibles meet the qualifications and other requirements of the positions (education, experience, and training).<br /><br /><b>Here's the complete list of passers per region for April 17, 2016 CSE-PPT</b> (<i>check back for the updates</i>):<br /><br />[ <span style="color: #0b5394;">NCR | CAR | CARAGA | ARMM | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 3 | Region 4 | Region 5 | Region 6 | Region 7 | Region 8 | Region 9 | Region 10 | Region 11 | Region 12 | Top 10</span> ]<br /><br />The CSE-PPT is a general ability test designed to measure an individual’s preparedness to enter government service.<br /><br />The three-hour test for the professional level includes vocabulary, grammar and correct usage, paragraph organization, reading comprehension, analogy, logic, and numerical reasoning (English and Filipino). <br /><br />For the sub-professional level, exam coverage is almost the same with the inclusion of clerical operations instead of analogy and logic and timed for 2.5 hours.<br /><br />Both examination levels also include questions for general information on the Philippine Constitution, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (R.A. 6713), peace and human rights issues and concepts, and environment management and protection.<br /><br /><b>The CSC announced that exam results will be released within 41 days after the examination through posting the list of passers in the CSC website. </b><br /><br />Official results can be expected from May 23 to June 3, 2016 or on May 28 (41 calendar days).<br /><br />On May 3, 2015 exam, results became available online on June 12 for Sub-professional level and on June 15 for the Professional level (equivalent to 40-43 calendar days) after the day of exam. <br /><br />Meanwhile, results of April 6, 2014 exam were released on May 19, 2014 or in 26 workings days (equivalent to 43 calendar days).<br /><br />Examinees can also generate their examination rating through OCSERGS or Online Service Examination Result Generation System which can be accessed at the CSC website. Generation of exam rating through OCSERGS shall be available approximately in 15 days after posting the list of passers.<br /><br />To receive more reliable updates regarding Civil Service Exam (CSE)-PPT, we encourage you to bookmark this page and don't forget to Like Us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. You may also subscribe to our E-Mail list delivered by Feedburner.</div>

List of Passers: Civil service exam results April 17, 2016 CSE-PPT

The Civil Service Commission(CSC) released results of April 17, 2016 Civil Service Exam - Paper and Pencil Test (CSE-PPT) also known as Care...

VIDEO: UA Mindanao wows in death-defying PGT semi-finals performance

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Motocross performers UA Mindanao impressed judges and viewers on their breathtaking and death-defying semi-finals performance on Pilipinas Got Talent (PGT) on Saturday, April 23, 2016.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4t6TwsO_I9YOnx1zAi_QkSMPyjq3cPTNj13akjWyGF60KMfOIKQr5MZsX9yXmsLIjUsc7EMVqX-oDo-4mCvV3UyZbdkkLCddUGwes5ojP5_HDMPRrExAFO0IPC5Mt8Smo8q_7oPlTEo0x/s1600/UA-mindanao-pgt.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="UA Mindanao wows in death-defying PGT semi-finals" border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4t6TwsO_I9YOnx1zAi_QkSMPyjq3cPTNj13akjWyGF60KMfOIKQr5MZsX9yXmsLIjUsc7EMVqX-oDo-4mCvV3UyZbdkkLCddUGwes5ojP5_HDMPRrExAFO0IPC5Mt8Smo8q_7oPlTEo0x/s640/UA-mindanao-pgt.jpg" title="UA Mindanao wows in death-defying PGT semi-finals" width="560" /></a></div><br />UA Mindanao from Kidapawan City once again proved they deserved the grand finals slot.<br /><br />"I was impressed on your performance. It was death deying and breathtaking. You deserved to be included in the Finals," judge FMG said.<br /><br />"Grabe kadelikado ng ginagawa nyo. Nakakainis kayo sa galing. Nakakaproud kayo," judge Angel Locsin has commented.<br /><br />"Bihira tayo makakita ng ganyan sa Pilipinas. Walang ibang contest na nagpapakita ng ganyan. Ngayon palang iboto nyo sila. Deserve nila makapasok sa grand finals," Vice Ganda said.<br /><br />WATCH: Pilipinas Got Talent Season 5 Semi-finals: UA Mindanao - Motorcross performance (<a href="http://entertainment2.abs-cbn.com/tv/shows/pilipinasgottalent/videos/2016/04/23/7042316-pilipinas-got-talent-semifinals-ua-mindanao-journey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">video courtesy of ABS-CBN</a>)<br /><br />Meanwhile, here's UA Mindanao's performance during the audition stage:<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2DQZUZTwOn4" width="560"></iframe></center><br /><b>Here's how to vote for UA Mindanao:</b><br /><br />To vote via text, key in PGT space UA and send to 2366. Note: One vote per SIM, per contestant is allowed. ABS-CBN mobile subscribers can cast their votes for free while P 1.00 per vote is being charged for other networks.<br /><br />To vote via Google, go to google.com.ph and log-in using your Google account. Type PGT5 in the search box, select photo of semi-finalist and submit. One vote per Google account is allowed.<br /><br /><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="tl">Ang UA Mindanao ba dapat ang makapasok sa grand finals? Narito ang mga paraan para iboto sila <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PGT5SemisOnFire?src=hash" rel="nofollow">#PGT5SemisOnFire</a> <a href="https://t.co/G8GfS6ISEz" rel="nofollow">pic.twitter.com/G8GfS6ISEz</a></div>— Pilipinas Got Talent (@OfficialPGT5) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialPGT5/status/723851910067802112" rel="nofollow">April 23, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br />Did you like UA Mindanao's performance? Tell us in the comment section below.</div>

VIDEO: UA Mindanao wows in death-defying PGT semi-finals performance

MANILA, Philippines - Motocross performers UA Mindanao impressed judges and viewers on their breathtaking and death-defying semi-finals perf...

VIDEO: Amazing Pyra gives blazing PGT semi-finals performance

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Fire dancer  "Amazing Pyra" propelled a blazing performance anew during the semi-finals round of Pilipinas Got Talent (PGT) on Saturday, April 23, 2016.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielDW2Xm9e0J6ubygqT1FI3QxrgOxHrOvIhnMWUBpFAnqAGC10DmFApCM_FNmcpPaXsteyfgkqIIiJI5uQoXNJr8_Wcx7QZUqztPYBZQKaMPl9tslg_5C3RkQJ6VNa10puK5aRQXyKtCJ-/s1600/amazing-pyra-pgt-semis.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Amazing Pyra gives blazing semi-finals performance" border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielDW2Xm9e0J6ubygqT1FI3QxrgOxHrOvIhnMWUBpFAnqAGC10DmFApCM_FNmcpPaXsteyfgkqIIiJI5uQoXNJr8_Wcx7QZUqztPYBZQKaMPl9tslg_5C3RkQJ6VNa10puK5aRQXyKtCJ-/s640/amazing-pyra-pgt-semis.jpg" title=" Amazing Pyra gives blazing semi-finals performance" width="560" /></a></div><br />The judges were impressed and gave the 20-year old dancer from Antipolo City a standing ovation.<br /><br />"Amazing na amazing talaga, walang ibang pinagbabagayan ang pangalan mo kundi ikaw lang. Kinabog mo silang lahat sa husay mo," judge Vice Ganda commented.<br /><br />"Gusto kong malaman na isa ka sa inaabangan ko dito sa PGT," judge Robin Padilla said.<br /><br />Judge Freddie M. Garcia has revealed that during his rehearsal two days ago, Amazing Pyra had been flayed by a minor burn.<br /><br />"Inspite of your condition, you perform very well," FMG said.<br /><br /><b>WATCH: Pilipinas Got Talent Season 5 Semi-finals: Amazing Pyra - Fire Dancer (<a href="http://entertainment2.abs-cbn.com/tv/shows/pilipinasgottalent/videos/2016/04/23/6542316-pilipnas-got-talent-semifinals-amazing-pyra-fire-dancer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">video courtesy of ABS-CBN</a>)</b><br /><br /><b>Here's how to vote for Amazing Pyra:</b><br /><br />To vote via text, key in PGT space PYRA and send to 2366. Note: One vote per SIM, per contestant is allowed. ABS-CBN mobile subscribers can cast their votes for free while P 1.00 per vote is being charged for other networks.<br /><br />To vote via Google, go to google.com.ph and log-in using your Google account. Type PGT5 in the search box, select photo of semi-finalist and submit. One vote per Google account is allowed.<br /><br /><center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><div dir="ltr" lang="tl">Si Pyra ba sa tingin mo ang dapat pumasok sa grand finals? Narito ang mga paraan para iboto siya <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PGT5SemisOnFire?src=hash" rel="nofollow">#PGT5SemisOnFire</a> <a href="https://t.co/6HsVMy7wKC" rel="nofollow">pic.twitter.com/6HsVMy7wKC</a></div>— Pilipinas Got Talent (@OfficialPGT5) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialPGT5/status/723841117867773952" rel="nofollow">April 23, 2016</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></center><br />Did you enjoy Amazing Pyra's performance? Tell us in the comment section below.</div>

VIDEO: Amazing Pyra gives blazing PGT semi-finals performance

MANILA, Philippines - Fire dancer "Amazing Pyra" propelled a blazing performance anew during the semi-finals round of Pilipinas G...

Facebook launches its Philippine office

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA - The world’s social media giant Facebook just reached the shores of the Philippines. In an exclusive event last Thursday (April 21) in Makati City, Facebook’s Vice President for Asia Pacific Dan Neary made the exciting announcement in front of various media outlets.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZIk0XvvTK1NpsDnIkdrW37F_dAGXFIaw-meMIcsPferjdUexGAHCUHpLxhIs9BNoI-iIdHTCfjKfgFphjcrMAUXJpelYoFELl9mlsrXCrWPTVSz46-CkB2ep8rDo3BQ0fochQduiGbal/s1600/facebook-ph-launch.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Facebook has now a physical presence in the Philippines." border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZIk0XvvTK1NpsDnIkdrW37F_dAGXFIaw-meMIcsPferjdUexGAHCUHpLxhIs9BNoI-iIdHTCfjKfgFphjcrMAUXJpelYoFELl9mlsrXCrWPTVSz46-CkB2ep8rDo3BQ0fochQduiGbal/s640/facebook-ph-launch.jpg" title="Facebook has now a physical presence in the Philippines." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Neary with the Facebook PH team. Digs Dimagiba (second from right) will lead the Manila office.<br />Photo credit: Dan Neary’s official Facebook account</td></tr></tbody></table>Together with Neary is Digs Dimagiba who will be taking the Manila operations of the world-renowned social media site. Dimagiba was the previous mobile business director of Samsung’s office in the country.<br /><br /><b>A new era for PH’s business industry</b><br /><br />“Today marks a new milestone for Facebook in the Philippines and we are committed to driving innovation that helps Filipinos and businesses connect in more meaningful ways," said Kenneth Bishop, Facebook's managing director for Southeast Asia, in a press release.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="746" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fneary.dan%2Fposts%2F10153325822321486&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe></center><br />The Philippine branch of Facebook is the sixth to be established in Asia, the fourth in the ASEAN region. Other Asian-based offices are located in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.<br /><br /><b>49M Pinoys are on Facebook</b><br /><br />With half of the Philippine population engaged in using Facebook as their personal and professional communication platform, it is a no surprise why the country’s name emerged as the newest home in Asia of the twelve-year old social media juggernaut.<br /><br />“Two thirds of everybody in the Philippines is connected to a company page. We started to look at the dynamics of them. 1 in 3 is actually recommending brands on Facebook and it’s a discovery vehicle for most of users. Ninety-five percent of them are talking and discovering products on Facebook,” according to Neary during a talk with the press that night.<br /><br />Globally, Facebook takes pride of having 1.59 billion of active users per month, with 49 million Filipinos comprising the number. According to Facebook, among the 49 million Pinoy users, 44 million are accessing the site through their mobile devices.  That accounts to a whopping 91% of the Filipino internet population.<br /><br /><b>Facebook PH will make it easier for businesses</b><br /><br />The establishment of a Facebook office doesn’t only secured the country’s reputation as one of its leading users in the world but rather, the launching further solidified the reputation of the Philippines as a new global business hub in Asia.<br /><br />Aside from that, local businesses and publishers will now be provided with easier means to jumpstart the promotion of their brands. A Philippine-based office of Facebook will be instrumental in a more convenient partnerships building, product branding and promotions for companies.<br /><br /><b>Facebook PH is hiring</b><br /><br />As a new company, Facebook Philippines is currently looking for qualified people to fill the vacant positions needed to fire up the company’s domestic operations particularly an outsource site manager who will be tasked “to run outsourcing site operations and to manage vendor relationships.”<br /><br />Also the company is in need of a regional product marketing manager who is expected “to drive product adoption and go-to-market strategies in the high-growth markets in Asia-Pacific.”<br /><br />Facebook Philippines is temporarily housed at Regus Business Center on the 35th floor of the Eco Tower located in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig with already five people working behind it including Dimagiba as its head.<br /><br /><b>--Michael Santiago, The Summit Express</b></div>

Facebook launches its Philippine office

MANILA - The world’s social media giant Facebook just reached the shores of the Philippines. In an exclusive event last Thursday (April 21) ...

2015 Philippine Bar exam results out May 3 - sources

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippnes - The Supreme Court (SC) is expected to release the results of the November 2015 Philippine bar exam on Tuesday, May 3, sources bared on Thursday, April 21.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsvXfxvFpa4jqktXdJpjZ9F-nwMQdslTHYqyKQpw5O5nkk_smBQE-VBX3tt9Woyc_4G9P9PXsL6pvoTy68Qr4rRfibfsffjIkx-KidYVKohhfoZb-1JBB_-sMoaiwafrFFWvhjF5BOJdc/s1600/bar-results-2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsvXfxvFpa4jqktXdJpjZ9F-nwMQdslTHYqyKQpw5O5nkk_smBQE-VBX3tt9Woyc_4G9P9PXsL6pvoTy68Qr4rRfibfsffjIkx-KidYVKohhfoZb-1JBB_-sMoaiwafrFFWvhjF5BOJdc/s640/bar-results-2015.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><br />The SC is set to hold the special en banc session early May to discuss the passing percentage and the approval of results for the 2015 bar examination.<br /><br />The official list of successful bar examinees will be flashed on a widescreen at the Supreme Court front yard and simultaneously be viewed at the official website of the highest court.<br /><br />More than 6,600 out of 7,146 examinees have completed the four-Sunday examination held at the University of Santo Tomas that started November 4, 2015.<br /><br />Supreme Court Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Bar exams committee head, announced that oathtaking of the new lawyers is scheduled on June 16, 2016 (Thursday).<br /><br />The 2015 Philippine Bar exam is consists of 20% multiple choice questions and 80% essay-type questions same with the previous year examination structure.<br /><br />In 2014, bar passing percentage was 18.82 (1,126 out of 5,984) lower than the 2012 outcome. Irene Mae Alcobilla, graduate of San Beda College of Law Manila topped the exam with 85.50% average grade.<br /><br /><b>RELATED STORY</b><br /><a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2015/11/list-of-passers-november-2015-philippine-bar-exam-results-release.html" rel="nofollow">List of Passers: November 2015 Philippine Bar Exam Results release</a></div>

2015 Philippine Bar exam results out May 3 - sources

MANILA, Philippnes - The Supreme Court (SC) is expected to release the results of the November 2015 Philippine bar exam on Tuesday, May 3, s...