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- BTS visits White House to discuss combating hate crime surge
- International film to feature Sagay City's Suyac Island
- DENR-NCR conducts experiential learning in San Carlos City
| BTS visits White House to discuss combating hate crime surge Posted: 01 Jun 2022 05:06 AM PDT K-POP sensation BTS visited the White House on May 31 to talk with United States President Joe Biden about combating the rise in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans—bringing superstar sizzle to an otherwise sad and scary topic.Band members J-Hope, RM, Suga, Jungkook, V, Jin and Jimin joined White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at her briefing with reporters on the final day of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Jimin said the band had been "devastated by the recent surge" of crime and intolerance against Asian Americans that has persisted since the start of the coronavirus pandemic."It's not wrong to be different," Suga said through an interpreter. "Equality begins when we open up and embrace all of our differences." V said that "everyone has their own history.""We hope today is one step forward to understanding and respecting each and everyone as a valuable person," V added.The band members wore black suits and ties and took turns briefly stepping to the podium. They got a tour of the White House before the briefing, and held a closed-door meeting with the president in the Oval Office afterward. Biden administration officials have spent recent weeks holding roundtable discussions and other meetings with Asian American leaders to discuss the violence.Since its debut in 2013, BTS has garnered global recognition for the members' self-produced music and activism, including an appearance at the United Nations. The band topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart three times in 2020, and was nominated for prominent music awards like the Grammys, Billboard Music Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.The normally cramped White House briefing room was even more jammed than usual, as journalists on-hand to cover BTS packed the aisles alongside the rows of seats assigned to outlets who regularly attend. The White House livestream—not known for large, middle-of-the-afternoon audiences—attracted more than 230,000 viewers before the event even began.After the band members spoke and had their comments translated, reporters began to ask them questions, but Jean-Pierre—who had said previously that members wouldn't take questions—intervened, saying, "We're gonna go." That prompted BTS members to offer, "We're sorry" as they filed away from the podium.Following the band was Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council, who was there to address reporters after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's meeting with Biden earlier in the day."I get to go home and tell my kids that BTS opened for me," Deese joked, adding that he was sure the room was "as excited" to talk about inflation's impact on the US economy as they'd been for the band.The scene was fun but the issue that brought the group to the White House was not. The rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination since 2020 has included the March 2021 killing of eight people at Atlanta-area massage businesses, including six women of Asian descent.Following those shootings, Asian American organizations across the US staged unity events and took to social media to call for an end to racist attacks. Within days, BTS tweeted, "We stand against racial discrimination" and included the hashtags #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate."We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected," BTS wrote then. "We will stand together."On Tuesday, the band thanked its fans, with Jungkook saying, "We still feel surprised that music created by South Korean artists reaches so many people around the world, transcending language and cultural barriers.""We believe music is always an amazing and wonderful unifier of all things," he added.Jean-Pierre said BTS is hoping "to combat racism, xenophobia, intolerance" that Asian communities have faced. She noted that Biden signed legislation combating Covid-19 hate crimes and issued an executive order reestablishing the White House initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific islanders, while helping to promote research to prevent racism against such communities. (AP) |
| International film to feature Sagay City's Suyac Island Posted: 01 Jun 2022 03:00 AM PDT THE first international full-length film shot in the mangrove island of Suyac, Barangay Tabaao, Sagay City, Negros Occidental has recently wrapped its production.The film "Amon Banwa sa Lawod" (Our Island of the Mangrove Moon) directed by Anton Juan was produced by the US-based Kellogg Institute for International Studies, Erehwon Center for the Arts, the Performance Laboratory, Negros Cultural Foundation, The Negros Museum and the City Government of Sagay.This is the first-ever feature film shot in Suyac Island, with the community's permission and participation. Fisherfolk, children, and island people served as spot and supporting actors during the 10-day shoot starting third week of April.The film revolves around the memories of the island centered on the life, love, and passing of the people.It was devised from the play "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder and was written by Juan and Mark L. Garcia, a Sagaynon filmmaker, who also served as an assistant director of the film.Juan is an internationally acclaimed theater and film director whose first film "Winged Fragments of our Children" premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in 2017, and won the best film at Chandler International Film Festival and Toronto International Diversity Film Festival.In his director's statement, Juan said that the film would articulate the mangrove community, resurrect the lives of the people living and dead, their struggles and simple joys, their resilience, and connection with the environment, and their relationship with the sea and their protection of their mangrove island which, in turn, protects and sustains the community as a source of food, economic survival, and protection from huge flooding in the typhoon and monsoon seasons.The central dramatic line grows from the everyday resilience of fisherfolk, living by hope, work and faith confronting a global problem -- the erasure of a people's historical existence by power structures and neo-colonial moves on the high seas, he added."Amon Banwa sa Lawod" starred local actors from Sagay and Bacolod, with most of them acting for the first time in the film.Meanwhile, Juan thanked the city government of Sagay and Mayor Alfredo Marañon III, for helping to create a film that will speak of the people's beauty "in these crucial times we need to consolidate creative forces."The Sagay City Information and Tourism Office was the lead office tasked to support the film production. Its head Helen Cutillar said that the office would like to also thank City Mayor's Office, City Administrator's Office, Vice Mayor's Office, Barangay Officials, DepEd Sagay, Philippine Coast Guard, Sagay Marine Reserve, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Balay Kauswagan, the Balhasahanay Filmmaking Movement, Philippine National Police, and other agencies for their support.The film is expected to have its international premiere next year and will have a scheduled screening in the island, Sagay City, and Negros Museum in Bacolod City. (PR) |
| DENR-NCR conducts experiential learning in San Carlos City Posted: 31 May 2022 04:10 AM PDT THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-National Capital Region (NCR) arrived in San Carlos City for their experiential learning on environmentally sustainable cities and coastal resource management last week.In a statement, the city government said that the group will be observing the San Carlos City's best practices on sustainable environmental protection and enforcement on waste treatment, septage, forestry, coastal marine managements, and its regulatory functions.DENR-NCR Regional Executive Director Jacqueline A. Caancan, said that San Carlos is their first choice since it has been recognized locally and internationally because of its sustainable programs for the protection and preservation of the environment with its comprehensive reefs to ridge approach.She also admired how the city was able to effectively implement and sustain its programs that made it become a model in good environmental governance.Former DENR Assistant Secretary Corazon Davis said the city demonstrated good governance in terms of sustainability and was able adapt to climate change and balance economic development without having to compromise the environment.She added that the city has set the standards in sustainable program implementation through effective long-term comprehensive planning where she hopes to bring back the knowledge to the National Capital Region and apply whatever would be beneficial to their communities.City Environment Management Office staff Marietta Lomocsol and Melvin Maglayon, Conservation fellow and Community Development assistant I of the Coastal Resource Management Division, facilitated the group's site visit to the Philippine Economic Zone Association (PEZA) registered special economic zone where renewable energy plants are located.Marine sanctuary in Sipaway Island was also visited as well as the established septage and water treatment at the island's port side and the Galing Pook Awardees Public Cemetery, Memorial Tree Park as well as the City Public Market where No-Single Plastic Use Policy is evident.Engineer Arthur Batomalaque, CEMO Integrated Waste Management and Pollution Control division head, presented to the group on May 26, 2022 about the city's sustainable environmental programs while they also shared how highly urbanized cities handle their environment including the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Project which include cleaning-up and water quality improvement, rehabilitation of the creeks or "esteros" sewerages, and resettlement of informal settlers and education and sustainment and its nourishment through laying of dolomite sands in the shoreline.Mayor Renato Gustilo warmly welcomed the guests during their courtesy call and proudly shared the city's best practices including the city's on-going and future development plans as well as toured them to the City Hall Annex Building and the local DRRM state-of-the-art command center. (PR) |
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