NEWS
PSC chairman Ramirez is Excellence in Leadership awardee at PSA Awards Night
March 3, 2022 9:38 p.m.
A first-ever Olympic gold medal amidst a global pandemic, a number of world champions, a gold quartet in the Asian Games and regaining the overall championship of the Southeast Asian Games.
In a nutshell, it defines just some of the major accomplishments attained under the term of William ‘Butch’ Ramirez as the man at the helm of the Philippine Sports Commission since being re-appointed to the post back in 2016.
And as his second term as chairman of the government sports agency comes to an end, Ramirez will be honored with an Excellence in Leadership Award in the San Miguel Corporation-Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards Night for the non-stop support and help his office tendered in uplifting the state of Philippine sports to a new level.
Ramirez, who was PSC chairman for the first time back in 2005 to 2009, is part of the 38 total awardees to be recognized by the country’s oldest media organization during the March 14 special event presented by the Philippine Olympic Committee, PSC, and Cignal TV.
The gala night will be held face-to-face at the Diamond Hotel and is backed by MILO (official choco malt milk), Philippine Basketball Association, 1Pacman, Rain or Shine, ICTSI, Chooks To Go, Smart, Philracom, and the MVP Sports Foundation.
An educator, former athletic director of Ateneo de Davao, and ex-chairman of the Davao City Sports Commission, the 71-year-old sports official was honored by the PSA with the Executive of the Year award in 2019 for successfully preparing the country’s hosting of the SEA Games three years ago, which saw Team Philippines emerge overall champion for the second time since it began participating in the biennial meet in 1977.
The SEAG overall championship was just one of several bright spots in Ramirez’s second term as PSC chairman, who works with the rest of the Board that includes commissioners Ramon Fernandez, Charles Maxey, Celia Kiram, and Arnold Agustin.
Seeing the country bag its breakthrough gold medal in the Olympics through weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz during the Tokyo Games, will forever be associated with Ramirez’s PSC mandate.
The 2020 Olympic campaign goes down in memory, too as the most productive ever in Philippine sports history as boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam added a pair of silver, and Eumir Marcial a bronze medal to complement the gold Diaz won in the women’s 55 kg division.
It was also under Ramirez’s watch that the country produced several Filipino world champions in the likes of gymnast Carlos Yulo, golfer Yuka Saso, pool player Carlo Biado, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, bowler Krizziah Lyn Tabora, Petecio, among others.
During the 2018 Asiad in Indonesia, Diaz and Saso also led an all-female gold medal cast for the Philippines, which produced its best medal tally in the quadrennial showpiece since 2006.
Saso won the gold in lady’s individual golf and added another one in the team event along with Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go, while Diaz and Margielyn Didal accounted for the two others in weightlifting and skateboarding, respectively.
Actually, just two months since Ramirez returned to his old PSC post, Diaz clinched the country’s first Olympic silver in 20 years during the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Games, setting the tone for what would be a truly magical ride along the way for the sports official from Davao.
Even when the chips were down, Ramirez rose to the occasion and managed to steer the agency in one of the most difficult times in Philippine sports after the PSC underwent a major financial cut from the national budget amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also credited as part of Ramirez’s works were the revival of the Philippine Sports Institute, the establishment of the National Training Center in the provinces, intensified grassroots sports development program among local government units, and strengthening the partnerships amongst the PSC, POC, National Sports Associations and other sports stakeholders.
NEWS
Atayde bats for moratorium on student loan payments during emergencies, calamities
March 17, 2023 9:00 p.m.
STUDENTS won’t have to worry paying their loans during times of calamities and emergencies, as Quezon City first district Congressman Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde has introduced a moratorium on the payment of student loans administered by higher educational institutions (HEIs).
The House Bill 7279, which Atayde filed last Feb. 21, headed into its first reading six days later in the Committee on Higher and Technical Education, chaired by Baguio City Rep. Mark O. Go.
He said the bill — once it turns to a law — will halt the payment of all the fees, charges, and costs relating to student loans and technical-vocational training institutions (TVIs) or by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UNIFAST) during emergencies.
It will cover all students residing in areas declared to be under a state of calamity or emergency — those who are enrolled in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs), private HEIs, and public and private TVIs.
“We have to find a way to help our students and their families, when natural or even these man-made calamities hit them hard. We just have to make everything easy for them including a moratorium on the payment of student loans,” Atayde said. “It is a burden on a student and their family especially in difficult times like aftermath of typhoon, fire and earthquakes, among other disasters.”
“In the order of spending, student loans will be their least priority since spending will go mostly to basic necessities for survival,” Atayde added.
The moratorium shall be effective for the duration of the state of calamity or emergency and for 30 days after its lifting. No penalties shall be collected on the deferred payments.
“To provide adequate relief and protection to our students in times of calamities and emergencies, this measure shall allow the deferral of student loan collections for a reasonable period during and after the onset of disasters.”
The Quezon City lawmaker cited also the availability of the moratorium, which shall not adversely affect the status of the students concerned with regard to their eligibility for re-enrollment on the succeeding semesters or terms, or their eligibility for graduation.
“The proposed legislation doesn’t prevent public and private HEIs from implementing more favorable forms of payment relief or assistance to students affected by disasters, prohibiting students from voluntarily waiving the moratorium on student loan payments, or availing subsidies and assistance from the government,” Atayde concluded.
NEWS
ShopeePay now available as a payment method for App Store, other Apple services in PH
March 16, 2023 1:59 p.m.
Beginning today, ShopeePay, Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet, is now available as a payment method for Apple services in the Philippines. Customers can use their ShopeePay account to pay for App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV app, and iTunes Store purchases, iCloud storage and more.
The addition of ShopeePay as an Apple ID payment method offers a new way to pay for Apple services without needing a credit card and still allows for easy, secure one-tap purchasing from Apple products including iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Customers can manage their Apple ID payment information in Settings on iPhone and iPad, or on their Mac or PC.
Agatha Soh, Director at ShopeePay commented, “ShopeePay is committed to meeting the needs of users who are increasingly expecting seamless payments across all platforms. We are excited to offer ShopeePay as a convenient payment option for our customers, and expand access to digital payments, benefitting more users.”
For more information on how to add ShopeePay as a payment method, please visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201266 or https://shopee.ph/m/ShopeePay-Apple-ID-PH.
NEWS
Be bolder, braver, more confident at SM Supermalls’ Women’s Month celebration!
March 8, 2023, 8:30 p.m.
Ladies, take center stage as SM celebrates Women Power throughout the month of March. Lots of activities both online and on-ground are in store to empower women and girls all over the country.
Join the Future of Women Global Summit
SM Supermalls will be joining UN Women in kicking off the IWD 2023 celebration through a women’s summit on March 8, at the SM Aura Premier Samsung Hall. Focusing on the future of women in ICT, the two-part event will gather young women, country leaders, policy makers, and advocates together to share perspectives and affirm their commitment to supporting digital equality for women and girls.
Photo courtesy of SM City Lucena
Photo courtesy of SM City San Jose del Monte
Support your local Womenpreneurs
Great finds for ladies are on sale at the SM Womenpreneur Market! This pop-up of small and medium businesses owned by women for women will give you everything you need from food and beauty to wellness and fashion!
Wednesdays are for women!
Shopping on Wednesdays has become even more tempting because the Women’s Wednesday Sale is back! Achieve the glow-up you deserve with special discounts, deals, and promos on fashion, beauty, and fitness exclusively for women every Wednesday of March. So don’t hold back on your shopping; you deserve all these and more!
A beautiful treat of wellness all for you
Forda glow-up and pampering sesh tayo this month because lots of self-care deals are available at the Women’s Wellness Sale. Avail of great deals from wellness salons on facials, hair and body treatments, nail care, and massage from March 1 to March 31.
And more deals online!
Special deals are up for women via the SM Malls Online app. Get the best brand offerings every Wednesday from shoes and beauty and wellness to home and hobbies. Use the code WOMEN and get an extra 10% off, capped at 250. What’s great is that there’s no minimum purchase required!
Also, a collection of brand vouchers will be sent to all women SM Malls Online shoppers valid all month. Wait for your Beauty Pass and give yourself the retail therapy you deserve with tons of discounts, GWP deals, samplers, in-store pick up bonuses, and mystery boxes!
Plus, the SM Malls Online app will be hosting self-care sessions online. Follow SM Supermalls on social media to get a dose of starter packages, Get-Ready-With-Me routines, and beauty products that your favorite beauty experts swear by.
Photo courtesy of SM City East Ortigas
Photo courtesy of SM City Manila
Celebrate Women Power on IG!
Capture the beauty and power of women at the beautiful spots and installations all over SM. Be free to express your own uniqueness and creativity in the specially-designed selfie spaces in partnership with Selfie Studio. Don’t forget to tag us on IG!
We don’t know about you but exciting days await every SM woman. So be bolder, braver, and more confident! With these activities, you can confidently step forward in fashion, beauty, wellness, and express yourselves to make a positive impact.
Stay updated on all things women this IWD 2023 by visiting www.smsupermalls.com and following @smsupermalls on social media.
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