P&G Philippines celebrating its 80th year for a good cause

Procter & Gamble (P&G) Philippines recently launched its ‘P&G Linis, Lusog’ program on its 80^th year celebration. President and general manager for P&G, Shankar Viswanathan emphasized the importance of having a proper hygiene to prevent diseases from spreading and affecting the health of students.

P&G Philippines will distribute 80 permanent hand washing facilities and a year supply of P&G soap products on different barangays within the metro. They first started on West Rembo Elementary School and South Cembo Elementary School.

President and general manager for P&G, Shankar Viswanathan (left) presenting their gifts to the South Cembo Elementary School, with its Principal Ms. Irene Aquino (far right)

“We want to contribute to the society. We want the P&G kids to learn the basic concepts of health and hygiene, especially hand washing which is the most important thing to save yourselves from various diseases,” said Shankar Viswanathan.

According to the South Cembo Elementary School principal, Ms. Irene Aquino, even before the P&G Philippines’ ‘P&G Linis, Lusog’ program, they have followed the Global Hand Washing Day which is held every October 15 that started last 2013 and taught their students the importance and steps of proper hand washing. Since starting the program, they have noticed that there are less reports of diseases from their students and the health of their community has improved.

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Unpublished report: June 30, 2015

Residential building that collapsed in Barangay 179 Maricaban Pasay City

The residential building that collapsed in Barangay 179 Maricaban, Pasay City, due to the continuous dredging for the flood and drainage project of DILG.

Now 3 families are temporarily relocated in the barangay hall, with only thin mattresses to shield them from the cold concrete flooring.

I need to see the other side of the world; it is really dangerous out there, but a story that matter needs to be delivered to people.

I may have the passion to deliver news and stories, but I have to say I need experience to handle this sort of case.

Thanks to my co-intern Krixia. I saw in her the determination to gather information. I see myself in her weeks ago, I may have spaced out for a bit lately...

Am I up for the real journo life? We'll see...

The Manila Metropolitan Theater: A history and its road to a glorified restoration

For more than four decades, the Manila Metropolitan Theater (MET) has been in ruins; it has 8,239.58 square meters of floor area and during the late 1940s it housed an ice cream parlor; used as a gay bar and boxing arena in the 1960s. The theater has a capacity of 1,670 seats, 846 orchestra and 718 balconies.

Design by a known Filipino architect Juan M. Arellano in January 1930, inspired by the early Filipino art and diverse images of the Philippine flora, Arch. Arellano want a modern design for the theater. Now that the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) owns MET, plans to restore the old glory of the building is its number one goal, “what we’ll do is to restore the original (design), so that you won’t know the difference between 1931 and today”, said the NCCA Chairman Felipe M. de Leon Jr.

According to the NCCA chairman, it would take two years for them to restore MET, they are eyeing to work with Arch. Tina Paterno who is the executive director of the San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation and Engr. Villarasa.

Signing of the Deed of Absolute Sale with GSIS and NCCA, Pasay City (GSIS Office)

It’s been two years since the NCCA started to create a master plan, a plan which the Department of Budget and Management requires for them to be provided the exact funds to purchase MET. The plan is comprise of how they are to make use of the theater once it is fully restored to its old beauty, in which the NCCA chairman said that students, teachers and schools in Manila can use it for their art exhibits, films and other performances.

The NCCA purchased MET to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for 270 million Php and signed the Deed of Absolute Sale on Thursday, June 10, 2015 on the GSIS building.

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Unpublished report: June 11, 2015