Over the course of two weeks, two devastating back to back typhoons hit the Philippines. On November 1st, Super Typhoon Rolly (Goni) the strongest typhoon ever recorded in recent history struck the southern region of the Philippines. An estimated two million Filipinos have been affected, many of whom lost their homes and livelihoods. Ten days later, Typhoon Ulysses (Vamco) swept through many of the same provinces previously devastated by Typhoon Rolly, including Metro Manila and parts of Central Luzon leaving widespread flooding and power outages.

Many areas are still struggling to recover from the aftermath of these calamities. Homes and livelihood across various provinces were lost to floods, strong winds and rain. LGUs and other organizations continue to mobilize and provide assistance to all who were affected by these typhoons, but many are still in desperate need of help.

In line with its mission to inspire creativity and bring joy, TikTok has pledged to donate US$300,000 (approximately Php15M) to support typhoon relief and rehabilitation efforts. US$150,000 has been allocated to the Philippine Red Cross for their onground mobilization efforts providing hot meals and other urgent necessities in affected communities.

“The Philippine Red Cross is always committed to reaching out to the helpless and to the most vulnerable. TikTok’s donation will surely go a long way in further strengthening PRC’s humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of those who were impacted by the recent calamities. You can be sure the Red Cross will continue to be there for the people affected,” said Senator Richard Gordon, Chairman of the Philippine Red Cross.

On Saturday, November 28 at 7:00pm, TikTok will also host the #TikTokTogetherPH virtual live fundraising concert featuring The Itchyworms, Mayonnaise, Kyline Alcantara, Rico Blanco, and Ella Cruz among other guest artists and local creators, joining one another on the app to help Filipinos in need. Proceeds from the virtual event will be turned over to partner organizations, with TikTok supplementing funds raised up to US$150,000.

“We stand with all Filipinos during their time of need and we want to do what we can to help all those affected get back on their feet. TikTok has been the go-to platform for happy and inspiring moments, now we are extending this mission even beyond the app,” TikTok said.

As it spreads joy and inspiration to millions of people on the platform each day, TikTok is also committed to doing their part in helping the broader community, through these efforts and through organizations like the Philippine Red Cross.

TikTok is available for download on Google Play and the App Store.

One in three young people in 30 countries said they have been a victim of online bullying, with one in five saying they skipped school due to cyber bullying and violence, according to a new poll released today by UNICEF, the United Nations organization working for children’s rights.

In the Philippines, latest national data show that cyber violence affects almost half of children aged 13-17.[1] The prevalence of cyber violence for males (44 per cent) is almost the same for females (43 per cent).

One-third of cyber violence experienced by Filipino children are in the form of verbal abuse over the internet or cellphone, while a fourth are through sexual messages. More females received messages of sexual nature or content than males. However, twice as many males than females reported having their nude body or sexual activities, whether real or falsified, shown on the internet or cellphone.

Violence against children, in all forms including online bullying or cyber bullying, has devastating effects on the physical and emotional well-being of young people. This can create lasting emotional and psychological scars, even physical harm. It is particularly challenging to address since children are vulnerable and have easy access to the internet, making them easy targets of online violence.

In the UNICEF U-Report poll conducted in June 2019, almost three-quarters of young people from 30 countries said that social networks including Facebook, Instagram, Snap chat and Twitter are the most common platforms for online bullying. Being connected online means that school no longer ends once a student leaves class, and neither does bullying.

The U-Report further revealed that 32 per cent believe that the government is mainly responsible in addressing online bullying, 31 per cent said that young people are responsible, while 29 per cent said internet companies. These show that opinions are equally divided on who should be responsible for ending online bullying – highlighting the need to involve children and young people in the shared responsibility.

UNICEF is calling for urgent action to implement policies that will protect children and young people from bullying – both online and offline. Addressing the problem requires action from all of us.

Establishing and equipping national helplines to support children and young people in reporting violence is a concrete step. Training teachers and parents to respond to and prevent bullying will ensure the safety of children and young people, particularly the most vulnerable ones.

Gathering better data about the online behavior of children and young people, and how criminals are using the internet, will guide policies and action plans.

UNICEF is also urging social media and social networking service companies to improve ethical standards and practices in collecting and managing information of children.

[1] National Baseline Survey on Violence Against Children (NBS-VAC), 2016

Don Moen, the singer-songwriter who achieved international prominence and success for his praise and worship music, is scheduled to return to the Philippines for a five-city concert tour that is set to start on July 4, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Presented by Ovation Productions, the five-date concert series also includes CPU in Iloilo on July 6, University of Baguio on July 8, Laus Event Centre in San Fernando, Pampanga on July 10, and Santa Rosa Sports Coliseum in Sta. Rosa, Laguna on July 11.

Don Moen’s set list will include the many praise and worship songs which are dearly loved by Filipinos such as “God Will Make A Way,” “Lord I Offer My Life To You,” “God Is Good All The Time,” “Give Thanks,” “Crown Him,” “I Want To Be Where You Are,” “Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord,” “Celebrate, Jesus, Celebrate,” “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” “All We Like Sheep,” “Your Steadfast Love,” “I Will Sing” and many more.

Don has established a solid base of Pinoy fans and his music stands out for its straightforward simplicity that bares men’s souls before God, animated by his smooth tenor over catchy contemporary tunes.
While many worship leaders can reach only certain demographics, Don Moen, a frequent visitor to the Philippines during the past several years and whom people consider as the “Barry Manilow of Christian music”, can extend to and touch a cross-section of worshippers and believers from diverse social classes and religious beliefs, with many seniors and youngsters enjoying his songs.

The Don Moen 2018 Philippine Tour is presented by Ovation Productions. For ticket prices and other inquiries, contact the following: Ticketnet 911-5555 for Manila concert; and SM Tickets 470-2222 for provincial concerts.

One of the number one fan of Basketball, Senator Manny Pacquiao will give an interesting view of Filipino Basketball as the created league, the Maharlika Pilipina Basketball League (MPBL) kicks off this coming January 25. This gives fresh Filipino Basketball talents from local communities and former collegiate and professional players their chance to shine on national TV at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The opening ceremonies, followed by a match-up between the Paranaque Patriots and Caloocan Supremos, will air live on ABS-CBN S+A starting at 7pm.

"This will support the youth who are interested in the sport. This will be a great help to them. From the grassroots, we are going to discover good players," said MPBL founder Senator Manny Pacquiao."Hindi naman kami nakikipag-compete sa ibang liga, kundi ito ay ambag, tulong din sa pag promote ng basketball dito sa Pilipinas. It's possible that players who shine in the MPBL will eventually get the opportunity to be drafted by other leagues so it could be complementary."
Arnold Vegafria, ALV Events International chairman who happens to be business manager of Pacquiao and overall head of production and marketing of MPBL says, "Through Senator Manny Pacquiao's vision, we have a basketball league that truly reaches the grassroots level. Finally, Filipinos from all walks of life who have the talent and passion for the game will be able to show their mettle on the hard court.We are thankful for this opportunity and hope advertisers and basketball fans support this. This is another platform where Pinoys can find their potential basketball heroes."

ABS-CBN Sports head Dino Laurena expressed his excitement with the entry of the MPBL S+A, which aims to give grassroots athletes and undrafted or untapped basketball players a venue to showcase their skills and continue to pursue their basketball dreams. "It was very natural for us to get together because of our shared vision for Philippines sports and our desire to support Filipino athletes in the grassroots level. Seredipitously, we are celebrating the anniversary of the MBA (Metropolitan Basketball Association) this year, which had the same concept and objective," he said.

Similar to the MBA, the MPBL features teams that represent a province, city or municipality in the country and has a home and away format that will give the teams a chance to play in their home court in front of fans. Currently, the league has 10 teams from Metro Manila and Luzon representing Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Caloocan, Imus, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Paranque, Quezon City and Valenzuela. They plan to eventually include teams from Visayas and Mindanao.

MPBL Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes also said that each team is required to have at least three players that are truly homegrown to the area. "The advantage of this is really the pride of the players playing for their respective provinces and cities. We also believe that it will be more exciting because of the support of the fans for their teams. In the preseason , we can really see that they are exited as they aslo want to see their home players succeed," he said.

MPBL team coordinator Emmerson Oreta, a former professional player like Duremdes, added that their long-term goal is to have all teams featuring all homegrown players, like their preseason champion , the Bulacan Kuyas.

Helping Duremdes and Oreta is former professional and national team player Zaldy Realubit, who heads the operations, and assistant commisioner Satar Macantal, Pacquiao's childhood friend who played for Pacquiao's local team and helped him organize basketball leagues in thier hometown of General Santos City.
To further encourage fans to watch the opening at the Araneta Coliseum, Vegafria said the MPBL will be giving away one car and ten motorbikes on January 25.

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League telecast is a production of ALV Events International and ABS-CBN Sports+Action. It airs 7pm January 25 live from the Smart Araneta Coliseum on S+A and S+A HD. Catch the games every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 7pm to 11pm.

As the people of Surigao recover from the devastation wrought by the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Surigao Province last Friday, the Coca-Cola System offered quick and ready assistance to the families.

At least 11 towns including the provincial capital and two major bridges essential were damaged. The earthquake and its aftershocks have left an estimated ₱601.8 million in damage in its wake. In light of this, the beverage company immediately arranged to send aid in the form of a vital resource--safe and clean drinking water.

On February 11 – the day after the quake, 100,000 worth of Wilkins Distilled water were unloaded at Surigao City Hall. The drinking water was distributed through the efforts of the local government, with the assistance of Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines pre-sellers, 301B personnel of the Philippine Army, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

In addition to the products, Coca-Cola Philippines, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, and the Coca-Cola Foundation are working with the local government of Surigao for the deployment of the SETA Potable Water Machine – a mobile drinking water facility with the capability to treat and produce 3000 l/h of potable drinking water a day – to sustainably ease the community's need for this resource, and will continue to support the rehabilitation efforts in the province.