Hello, BKDNN, Purok 1, West Kibawe, Kibawe (2026)

08/08/2026

At seven years old, Samantha Gail Lim discovered that one of the world’s rarest birds was living on the same island she called home... and she could not simply look away.

Two years later, the young Cebuana has raised ₱20,000 to support the community forest wardens protecting the Cebu Flowerpecker (Dicaeum quadricolor), a bird found nowhere else in the world.

The Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. (PBCFI) recently recognized the nine-year-old conservation advocate for turning her concern into concrete action.

Gail first learned about the Cebu Flowerpecker while researching endangered birds. When she discovered how dangerously close the species was to extinction, she approached her father, Sheldon Lim, and told him she was worried that they were living in Cebu without doing anything to help.

Her parents, Sheldon and Gennilyn Lim, later accompanied her to the Nug-as Forest in Alcoy, southern Cebu. There, Gail met members of the Kapunungan sa Mag-uuma sa Yutang Lasangnon sa Bulalacao sa Nug-as, Alcoy, or KMYLBNA.

Established in 1989, KMYLBNA is a community-based people’s organization whose forest wardens patrol and monitor the forest, plant trees and help protect the wildlife inhabiting one of Cebu’s largest remaining forest areas.

Although Gail did not see the elusive Cebu Flowerpecker during the visit, she encountered another Cebu-endemic bird—the Black Shama, locally known as Siloy. The experience strengthened her determination to protect the wildlife found only on her home island.

With the support of her family, Gail began collaborating with Cebuano artists and conservation advocates. They organized art workshops, produced custom merchandise and introduced children and families to the Cebu Flowerpecker and the urgent need to protect its habitat.

Her advocacy grew into Project Wings and Wonders, an art-and-conservation initiative implemented through the Cebu Leo Club in collaboration with PBCFI. Dericke Gwaine Tan served as project adviser, while Sarah Isok Bihag headed the initiative.

Through the project’s activities, Gail raised ₱20,000 and donated the entire amount to the Nug-as Forest Wardens of KMYLBNA. The contribution will help support the community frontliners who regularly patrol the forest and monitor the species and its remaining habitat.

The Cebu Flowerpecker is classified as Critically Endangered. It was once considered extinct and had not been reliably recorded for decades until its rediscovery in Tabunan Forest in 1992.

The species survives only in Cebu’s remaining natural forests, including the Nug-as Forest in Alcoy, Babayungan Forest in Dalaguete and Tabunan Forest within the Central Cebu Protected Landscape. Conservation studies estimate that only around 1,000 hectares of suitable forest habitat remain.

Habitat loss, agricultural expansion, illegal tree cutting and infrastructure development continue to threaten its survival. Because the bird is rarely heard, moves quickly while feeding and is found in increasingly fragmented forests, it is also exceptionally difficult to observe and monitor.

Gail’s story is not remarkable merely because she began young. It is remarkable because she refused to believe that being young meant being powerless.

At seven, she asked what she could do. At nine, her answer is already helping the people standing between one of the world’s rarest birds and extinction.

Sources: Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc., SunStar Cebu, Cebu Flowerpecker Conservation Action Plan

08/08/2026

Kulas had attended many fiestas in the Philippines. But it was only after nearly emptying his bank account that he finally understood why Filipinos keep opening their homes to feed people... even those they have never met.

In a story shared by Becoming Filipino, Canadian content creator Kyle “Kulas” Jennermann recalled hosting his first barangay fiesta in Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro City, on May 15, 2014.

He had been living in the country for only two years, but fiesta invitations had already become familiar. Come inside, find a seat and eat. There was always room for one more person at the table.

Curious about what it felt like to be the host, Kulas decided to prepare his own celebration.

Without family in the Philippines to help him, he turned to his barkada. Together, they bought groceries, searched for coconuts and a lechon supplier, arranged plastic tables and chairs, decorated the house with buntings and prepared a corner for tagay. Kulas even made take-home bags for his guests.

When fiesta day arrived, friends came. Then friends of friends. Eventually, even strangers passing along the street joined the celebration.

The lechon disappeared. Drinks ran low. Chairs became scarce. Kulas spent much of the day running back and forth, buying additional supplies and making sure everyone had something to eat.

It was exhausting—and expensive!

But somewhere between the refilled plates, shared drinks and conversations around the house, he began to understand what made hosting a fiesta special.

Everyone was happy...

The following morning, Kulas woke up tired and checked his bank account. He called it the “worst financial decision” he had ever made in the Philippines.

Still, he smiled.

The celebration taught him that a Filipino fiesta is not simply about spending beyond one’s budget or preparing enough food to impress visitors. At its heart, it is an act of hospitality, the quiet joy of seeing people fed, welcomed and included.

At the end of the day, perhaps the host receives the greatest portion, and it's not something from the table, but from the happiness around it.

“Fiesta,” Kulas wrote. “Now I understand.”

Photo by via / Instagram

08/08/2026

Tatay Isidro Ayubo had a large lump on his chest and no clear answer about what it was.

So he packed a few belongings, got on his bicycle, and traveled from Samar to Bicol to seek medical help.

It took him nine days.

Nine days of pedaling under the heat, resting wherever he could, and waking up only to continue the same long journey. We do not know how many times he became tired or afraid along the way. But we know that he kept going.

When something unfamiliar is growing inside your body, distance begins to matter less than the fear of not knowing.

When Tatay Isidro finally reached Bicol, however, he did not immediately receive the answer he had traveled for. He was reportedly told that his tuberculosis had to be treated first before doctors could further examine the lump on his chest.

After nine days on the road, he was still waiting.

There is something deeply painful about a man having to travel that far, not for a special procedure or an expensive treatment, but simply for the chance to understand what is happening to his body.

Many of us can visit a clinic, call a doctor, or find a hospital within the day. For people like Tatay Isidro, seeking medical care can mean leaving home, crossing regions, and stretching an already tired body beyond what it should have to endure.

His journey is inspiring, yes. But it should also trouble us.

We often celebrate people for being strong without asking why they had to become that strong in the first place.

Tatay Isidro did what he could with what he had. He pedaled for nine days because he wanted to live for himself and his family.

Hope does not always arrive in an ambulance. Sometimes, it comes on an old bicycle, carrying one tired man toward the possibility of another tomorrow.

08/08/2026

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) announced on Friday, August 7, 2026, the perpetual ban of former Ateneo men’s basketball head coach Thomas Anthony “Tab” Baldwin following the deaths of two student-athletes during a team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora.

Rene Clert Baterbonia and Chukwuemeka Divine Adili died during the activity held on June 8, 2026.

Baldwin is permanently barred from participating in all UAAP competitions and related activities in any coaching, administrative, advisory or official capacity. He is also prohibited from entering UAAP competition venues.

The sanction is final and cannot be appealed.

Team manager Christopher John Quimpo; assistant coaches Dean Caesar Castaño, Sandro Nicholas Romero Soriano, Reynaldo Jacinto Jr., Hernan Ameer Domingo, Caesar Vincent Javellana Elumba and Grant Dearns; and physical therapist John Eric Rueca were suspended from UAAP competitions and related activities until further determination by the Board.

Unlike Baldwin’s permanent ban, their suspensions may be appealed under the league’s applicable procedures.

The decision followed Ateneo de Manila University’s internal investigation and the UAAP’s administrative review of publicized official reports from the Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the National Bureau of Investigation.

Ateneo representatives recused themselves from the Board’s final deliberations and decision-making to preserve the integrity of the process.

The UAAP noted that government investigators did not recommend holding the student-athletes present during the incident liable. The Board said members of the Ateneo men’s basketball team are themselves victims of the tragedy.

The Blue Eagles will remain eligible to compete in UAAP Season 89, considering the players’ expressed desire to honor Baterbonia and Adili through competition.

As a condition for its continued participation, Ateneo must comprehensively reassess the basketball team’s organizational structure and management within the university’s broader athletics program.

The review is intended to strengthen institutional oversight, accountability and safeguards for student-athlete welfare.

The UAAP described its approach as both protective and restorative, aimed at ensuring accountability, addressing the harm caused by the incident and fostering a safer environment throughout the league.

The association also extended its condolences to the families and loved ones of Baterbonia and Adili, describing their deaths as an immeasurable loss to the community.

05/08/2026

LOOK | Workers from the Cainta Flood Control Pumping Station safely pulled out a 15-year-old male from the Pasig City–Cainta River. The teenager was rescued from the water after strong currents swept him away while he was playing with friends.

📷 PNA

29/07/2026

For years, husband-and-wife doctors Willie Ong and Anna Liza Ramoso-Ong have worked side by side to make health information easier to understand for millions of Filipinos. This time, they are facing a deeply personal chapter together, as Doc Liza begins her own journey through cancer while her husband continues his treatment for sarcoma.

In a Facebook post, Doc Liza revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer six weeks ago.

“Na-diagnose ako ng breast cancer 6 weeks ago. Kailangan ko matapos ang 12 weeks ng chemotherapy at 4 na immunotherapy at sa huli ay opera para tanggalin ang right breast,” she shared.

According to a health update posted on Dr. Willie Ong’s official page, Doc Liza was diagnosed with early-stage invasive ductal carcinoma, a common type of breast cancer.

Her treatment plan includes 12 weeks of chemotherapy, four immunotherapy sessions, and an eventual operation involving the removal of her right breast.

Behind those medical terms is a deeply human reality: a woman preparing for months of treatment, significant physical changes, and the emotional weight that comes with them.

Still, Doc Liza expressed courage and faith as she assured her followers that she intends to face the illness with determination.

“Kaya ko ito at lalabanan ko ito,” she said.

Even while undergoing treatment, she and Doc Willie hope to continue sharing health tips with their followers.

“Tuloy-tuloy pa din kami sa pag-gawa ng health tips para sa inyo. Mahal na mahal namin kayo aming followers. God bless you,” she added.

The diagnosis comes as Doc Willie continues his own treatment for Stage 4 sarcoma. In a recent update, he said his condition remains stable and that he continues to receive maintenance immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

Doc Willie first publicly disclosed his cancer diagnosis in September 2024 after doctors found a large tumor in his abdomen. Throughout his treatment, Doc Liza remained beside him, supporting him not only as a fellow physician, but as his wife and life partner.

Now, their family is carrying another difficult burden together.

Their decision to speak openly about their experience is also a reminder that illness can enter any home, even the homes of those who have spent their lives caring for others. Knowledge may help a person understand the road ahead, but it does not remove the fear, exhaustion, or uncertainty of having to walk through it.

As messages of support continue to reach the couple, may the public receive their story with compassion, respect their need for privacy, and keep Doc Liza, Doc Willie, and their family in prayer during this deeply personal season.

Sources: [Doc Willie Ong’s official Facebook update]

27/07/2026

Most students spend their daily allowance on food, transportation, or small things that make school days a little easier.

Karl Castro chose to save his.

With only ₱50 a day, Karl slowly set aside whatever he could. After nearly a year, he had saved around ₱3,000. It was not a huge amount, especially for someone dreaming of starting a farm, but it was enough for him to begin.

Instead of buying a new phone, clothes, or anything most teenagers his age might have wanted, Karl used his savings to build a small hydroponics setup in his family’s backyard in Remedios T. Romualdez, Agusan del Norte.

He did not build it alone. With the help of his father, Karl constructed his first greenhouse using whatever materials they could find: scrap wood, mosquito nets, and recycled plastic bottles. It was simple and far from perfect, with space for only around 50 heads of lettuce.

But for Karl, those first plants meant something... they proved that his idea could grow.

His teachers became his first customers. Their support gave Karl more than his first sales. It showed him that people were willing to buy locally grown lettuce and that the small farm he had built at home could become something bigger.

Like most beginners, Karl learned by trying, adjusting, and solving one problem at a time.

He first used the Kratky method, a basic hydroponic system where plants grow above nutrient-filled water. When the setup could no longer keep up with his growing production, he shifted to the Nutrient Film Technique, or NFT, which allows nutrient-rich water to flow continuously through sloping PVC pipes.

The new system helped him grow more lettuce using less space.

What began as a makeshift greenhouse built from saved allowance and recycled materials eventually became HydroVeggie, a 100-square-meter farm capable of producing around 1,500 heads of lettuce in a single growing cycle.

Today, HydroVeggie supplies cafés and restaurants, including Korean barbecue establishments that require a steady supply of fresh lettuce for samgyupsal meals. Karl grows varieties such as Jonction, Tourbillon, and Batavia, choosing what to plant based on what his customers need.

At only 18 years old, Karl is already balancing two demanding roles.

He is a freshman Agriculture student at Caraga State University, and he is also a young farmer and entrepreneur earning an estimated ₱30,000 to ₱34,000 a month from lettuce grown in his family’s backyard.

The income helps pay for his education and personal needs. More importantly, it allows him to contribute to his family and help support the parents who helped him begin.

Karl has also learned how to make his own nutrient solutions, adjusting the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium depending on the plants’ stage of growth. By producing the mixture himself, he lowers his expenses while maintaining the quality of his harvest.

But the greenhouse has grown into more than a business.

Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering students from Caraga State University have visited HydroVeggie for fieldwork and practical learning. The farm that began with a teenager’s saved allowance has now become a place where other young people can see how modern agriculture works outside the classroom.

Karl’s story challenges the old belief that farming is a career people choose only when no other options remain.

For him, agriculture was never a fallback.

It was a future he deliberately worked toward, one ₱50 allowance at a time.

Somewhere between the scrap wood, recycled bottles, PVC pipes, and rows of green lettuce, Karl built more than a greenhouse.

He built proof that young people do not always need large capital, complete equipment, or years of experience before they can begin something meaningful.

Sometimes, the future begins with a small amount of money, a willing pair of hands, a family that chooses to help, and the discipline to sacrifice something today for the life you hope to build tomorrow.

Story source: Agriculture Monthly and Manila Bulletin feature by Jhon Oliver Nery, with photographs and information provided by Karl Castro.

26/07/2026

A 20-percent discount appears as a single line on a receipt.

For a senior citizen or person with disability, it means meaningful relief. But behind the counter, that same line can represent revenue a restaurant, pharmacy, hotel, or other covered establishment will never fully collect.

This is the less visible side of government-mandated benefits that David Sison, CEO and Chief Taste Officer of Mama Lou’s Group Holdings Inc., brought into public conversation through a Facebook post.

Sison said Filipinos understandably celebrate whenever the government announces new discounts, wage increases, exemptions, and other benefits. But he questioned why the recognition often goes to the government while much of the financial obligation is passed directly to private businesses.

“Generosity is easy when someone else pays the bill,” he wrote.

From tax credit to tax deduction

The central legal claim behind Sison’s post is supported by the history of the Senior Citizens Act.

Under Republic Act No. 7432, enacted in 1992, private establishments could claim the cost of senior citizen discounts as a tax credit. This meant that the amount could be deducted directly from the establishment’s tax liability, effectively providing peso-for-peso recovery of the qualified discount.

That changed in 2004 when Republic Act No. 9257 replaced the tax-credit system with a tax deduction. Instead of subtracting the discount directly from taxes owed, businesses could only deduct it from gross income when computing taxable income.

Republic Act No. 9994, or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, retained the tax-deduction treatment while expanding senior citizen benefits, including VAT exemptions on qualified purchases. Republic Act No. 10754 later adopted a similar tax-deduction mechanism for mandatory discounts granted to persons with disabilities.

And that difference is significant.

A tax credit directly reduces the amount of tax payable. A tax deduction merely reduces the income on which the tax is computed.

Sison illustrated this by saying that for every ₱100 in discounts, a business may recover only ₱20. The figure is reasonable for a profitable corporation subject to a 20-percent income-tax rate, but it is not universal. A corporation taxed at 25 percent could receive up to ₱25 in tax savings from a ₱100 deduction. A business with little or no taxable income may receive no immediate income-tax benefit at all.

The essential point, however, remains. Under the current system, the discount is not reimbursed peso for peso. A substantial portion is absorbed by the establishment.

Benefits are necessary, but who should carry them?

Sison made clear that he was not calling for the removal of benefits. Senior citizens deserve support. Persons with disabilities deserve accessibility and dignity. Workers deserve fair compensation.

His question was about how these social commitments are financed.

He also pointed to wage increases as another example. While expressing support for better pay, Sison argued that increases are often announced as government achievements even though private employers must produce the additional payroll without an accompanying subsidy.

For large corporations, these costs may be manageable. For businesses operating on thin margins, however, every mandated discount or increase must be absorbed through lower earnings, operational adjustments, reduced expansion, smaller hiring budgets, or eventually higher prices.

That does not make the benefits wrong. It exposes a policy tension that deserves a more honest conversation.

The Supreme Court upheld the tax-deduction system in 2013, ruling that the mandatory senior citizen discount was a valid exercise of the State’s police power and that businesses were not constitutionally entitled to full reimbursement.

Legal validity, however, does not automatically settle whether the arrangement remains the fairest or most sustainable policy.

Government may legitimately require businesses to contribute to social welfare. But policymakers must also confront the cumulative impact of discounts, wage mandates, taxes, permits, compliance requirements, utilities, rent, ingredients, and other operating expenses, especially on small and medium enterprises.

The deeper issue raised by Sison is not whether society should help seniors, PWDs, and workers.

It is whether the cost of that help should be transparently shared by the State, businesses, and the wider public, rather than quietly placed on establishments and eventually passed through the economy.

A benefit does not become less compassionate when its funding is questioned.

In fact, asking who pays is what keeps compassion from turning into assumption.

Because in the end, every “government benefit” has a source. If it is not fully funded by the State, then it is funded somewhere else. It maybe on a balance sheet, in a payroll, or in a price tag paid by ordinary consumers who never saw the discount line on the receipt.

As Sison argued, the original 1992 law recognized that distinction that the government made the promise and provided a mechanism to shoulder its cost.

More than two decades after the shift from tax credit to tax deduction, the question is no longer whether Filipinos deserve support. They truly do.

The question is whether we are willing to admit, honestly and openly, who is still paying for it... and whether that silence is the most expensive part of all.

23/07/2026

TWO-HOUR RESCUE ENDS IN RELIEF: ALL THREE VICTIMS SAFELY EXTRICATED FROM TRAILER TRUCK WRECK IN DAMULOG

For nearly two hours, rescuers worked around a damaged trailer truck, heavy metal cargo, and dangerous road conditions to bring three victims to safety in Barangay Pocopoco, Damulog, Bukidnon.

The vehicular accident occurred at approximately 4:20 p.m. on July 23, 2026, involving a trailer truck transporting coils and metal sheets from Sarangani Province to Cagayan de Oro City.

The truck was driven by Anthony Bernat, 30, accompanied by helpers Dandy Jumilla, 29, and Kojihan Duran, 13. All three are residents of Bangkal, Davao City.

According to initial reports, Bernat allegedly lost control of the truck after it encountered a slippery portion of the road.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Damulog was alerted after a municipal employee saw a live video showing the accident. Upon receiving the information, the MDRRMO immediately deployed its emergency response team to the area.

The rescue operation was led by Rhoen Jay P. Orque, chief of the MDRRMO Damulog Operations and Warning Section.

Responders spent nearly two hours carefully extricating the three occupants from the wrecked vehicle. Despite the weight of the truck’s cargo and the complexity of the operation, Bernat, Jumilla, and Duran were all safely rescued.

All three victims reportedly sustained only minor injuries.

The operation was strengthened by the assistance of MDRRMO Dangcagan, headed by Engr. Felipe T. Morica, with its responding personnel led by Rodirex R. Incillo, RN.

Also joining the rescue were personnel from the Damulog Fire Station, headed by SFO2 Joie D. Payla; the Damulog Municipal Police Station, led by PCapt. Marlon C. Subrian; the Damulog Rural Health Unit, headed by Dr. Cres Kristian C. Silva; and the Municipal Engineering Office, headed by Engr. Jose G. Orzal.

Local motorists and bystanders also assisted responders at the accident site.

What could have ended as a fatal road tragedy instead became a story of preparation, coordination, and persistence.

The outcome showed the critical role of the MDRRMO not only during typhoons, floods, and natural disasters, but also in road emergencies where trained responders, proper equipment, and quick decisions can mean the difference between life and death.

After nearly two hours of rescue operations, all three victims were brought out safely.

Photos by Katya Quidet Clemencio and Michelle Jimenez Barrica

23/07/2026

Spotify removed more than 75 million “spammy tracks” over a 12-month period as generative AI made it easier to mass-produce and upload music at industrial scale.

The figure, announced in September 2025, does not mean all 75 million tracks were AI-generated. Spotify said the removals included duplicate uploads, misleading metadata, artificially short tracks, bulk content and other attempts to manipulate streams and royalties.

Spotify emphasized that it is not banning AI-assisted music.

Charlie Hellman, the company’s global head of music product, said Spotify would not punish artists who use AI responsibly. Its policies instead target bad actors using automation, impersonation and mass uploads to game the system.

The platform introduced three major protections: stricter rules against unauthorized AI voice clones, stronger spam detection for duplicate and manipulative uploads, and a DDEX-backed disclosure system allowing artists and distributors to identify where AI was used in a recording.

The scale of the problem has continued to grow.

In September 2025, Deezer reported receiving more than 30,000 fully AI-generated tracks per day, with up to 70 percent of their streams showing signs of fraud.

By July 2026, Deezer said daily AI-generated uploads had risen to nearly 90,000 and exceeded half of all new tracks during peak days. It also reported that up to 85 percent of streams involving fully AI-generated music were fraudulent.

The issue is therefore not simply AI-created music. It is the use of AI to flood platforms, impersonate artists and divert royalties from legitimate creators.

Spotify’s crackdown reflects a growing challenge for streaming services about protecting creative experimentation while preventing technology from turning music platforms into automated royalty farms.

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