An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) here, who used to work as gym receptionist, now runs a bakeshop selling “binatog.” And it has been such a big hit that he was able to buy a house and lot plus a car in the Philippines from sales.
An inspiring story for all OFW, including me, who left our home country to find a living in a foreign land.
I also someone who works as a tea boy/cleaner here in Saudi Arabia but building his dream house in the Philippines… paycheck after paycheck!
Michelle Abad with reports from Bea Cupin, reporting for Rappler;
A Filipino on death row in Saudi Arabia has been executed, the Philippine government said on Tuesday, October 8.
“We regret to confirm the news that a Filipino has been executed in Saudi Arabia for murder,” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.
The Philippine government provided legal assistance and exhausted remedies to save the Filipino’s life, including sending a presidential letter of appeal to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman. But the victim’s family refused to accept blood money in return for forgiveness of the Filipino, and so the death penalty was meted, the DFA said.
According to Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, the overseas Filipino worker pleaded guilty to the crime. The victim was the OFW’s Saudi Arabian business partner, and the incident happened in 2020.
Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia release the following statement;
A very sad moment for all OFW in Saudi Arabia.
The Rappler also reports that according to DFA there are still “nine Filipinos remain on death row in Saudi Arabia.”
What is Riyadh Season? Riyadh Season is one of the world’s largest winter entertainment event. Variety of food from around the world, courtesy of exclusive restaurants — plus countless exciting surprises. The festivities capture the essence of Saudi, from its Najdi heritage to its present-day dynamism.
When will it start?
Riyadh Season will kick-off this October 12th.
Netflix just announced that the sequel of their hit series Squid Game will be available on the platform on the 26th of December. The announcement was made on the company’s social media account with the caption “Get back in the game, Squid Game returns DECEMBER 26.” and a 3-and-a-half minutes trailer of the series (embedded below).
In an article posted on Tudum, “Season 2 explores how Gi-hun follows through on his words after leaving the airport,” says Hwang below in a new behind-the-scenes featurette that revisits Season 1. “Gi-hun’s endeavor to find out who these people are and why they do what they do is the core story of Season 2.”
Lee adds: “In Season 1, there was room to show glimpses of Gi-hun’s various personalities, such as his optimistic nature and positive energy. This time, the focus was on his determination.”
Squid Game Season 2 Poster
Here’s the synopsis of Squid Game Season 2;
Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going to the states and comes back with a new resolution in his mind. Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won.
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, will return as the Director of Season 2, he made history at the 74th Primetime Emmys, becoming the first Asian to win Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, once again helms the series as director, writer, and producer.
Returning casts from Season 1 are Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-jun, and Gong Yoo, and the new cast members will include Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-uk, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, Jo Yu-ri, and Won Ji-an.
You can rewatch Squid Game Season 1 only on Netflix.
رحب معنا بجهاز #GalaxyS24FE الجديد. جهاز يدعم الذكاء الاصطناعي #GalaxyAI ويتمتع بأفضل كاميرا في سلسلة Galaxy FE حتى الآن. مصمم لإثارة إبداعك ورفع أفكارك إلى مستوى آخر. اختر لون يتماشى مع ذوقك الرفيع وخلك مميز.
Samsung KSA has announced that the Galaxy S24 FE is now available in Saudi Arabia. First announced last month, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is a 6.7-inch smartphone that’s powered by Samsung Exynos 2400e and feature a Dynamic AMOLED display with 1080 x 2340 (FHD+) resolution, 16M color depth and 120 Hz max refresh rate. The also features Samsung’s Galaxy AI, which is an “on-device AI that powers features like real-time translation and image generation.” The Samsung Galaxy AI was first announced at the Galaxy Unpacked July 2024.
It has a triple rear camera setup (50.0 MP + 12.0 MP + 8.0 MP) and a 10.0 MP front facing camera. The Galaxy S24 FE will have 8GB RAM and the storage will be up to 512GB. The Galaxy S24 FE will be in 4 colors; blue, graphite, marble gray and mint. The price for the new Galaxy S24 FE will start at SAR2,849.00 for the 8GB + 256Gb model and SAR3,349.00 for the 8GB + 512Gb variant.
You can find the full specs of the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE here.
Rather than going abroad to play basketball elsewhere, it appears that Caitlin Clark will playing a different sports this off season. Clark will participate in this year’s The Annika in November, the penultimate tournament on the LPGA Tour schedule hosted by Annika Sorenstam. Caitlin Clark will is a panelist at the Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, then will play in the Wednesday Pro-Am game, both taking place at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla.
“I love golf so the opportunity to play in the Pro-Am for a tournament with a legend like Annika Sorenstam’s name on it is so exciting,” said Clark. “Gainbridge® is a leader in supporting women’s sports and that’s clear through their commitment to me, this event, Billie Jean King, and Parity Week. I’m looking forward to seeing all the LPGA players on the driving range, being part of the Women’s Leadership Summit, and, of course, teeing it up in the pro-am with Annika.”
Catch WNBA All-Star Caitlin Clark at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. We are excited to have Caitlin join us as a panelist at the Women’s Leadership Summit on Nov. 12 and tee it up at the Pro-Am on Nov. 13. Read more at https://t.co/Ol26PV7Zsjpic.twitter.com/IlOe3Ga294
— The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican (@theANNIKAlpga) October 7, 2024
This was a pre-season game between the LA Lakers and Phoenix Suns. The Suns won the game (119 – 114), the elder James lead the game with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in just 16 mins of playing time, while the younger James played for 13 mins with 2 rebounds and 4 turnover.
The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has dismissed a 37-year-old ill-gotten wealth case against the Marcos family, citing the defendants — which includes Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and wife Imelda — “can no longer be afforded a fair trial” in a “chronology of events” that have contributed to an “inordinate delay.”
Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg wrote the 30-page resolution, dated October 4, 2024, noting that the defendants “can no longer be afforded a fair trial.” Associate Justices Edgardo Caldona and Arthur Malabaguio concurred.
So the SC dismisses the case because it was delayed for too long?!
Ionescu rebounded from a rare off game to score 22 points, and nearly a year after the Aces ended the Liberty’s dream of a championship, New York returned the favor Sunday afternoon by defeating Las Vegas 76-62 to advance to the WNBA Finals.
It was a masterful performance by the New York Liberties, the team was able to keep their composure and lead despite their key players, Jonquel Jones and Leonie Fiebich, being in the foul trouble for most of the game.
The Liberty was lead by Sabrina Ionescu who scored a team high of 22 points and 7 rebounds, followed by a double-double from Breanna Stewart, who scored 19 points and 14 rebounds. They will face the winner of Game 5 of the Lynx-Sun series this Tuesday, 8th of October. Game 1 of the WNBA Finals is scheduled this Thursday, October 10, 2024 hosted by the NY Liberty in Barclays Center.
Anne Hathaway just posted on her IG account that The Princess Diaries 3 is happening. The caption of her post includes “Back to Genovia..” and “The fairy tale continues ❤️🔥.”
Together with Hathaway’s social media posts, Hollywood Reporter writes that “Adele Lim, a scribe who has worked on Crazy Rich Asians and Joy Ride, to direct the feature.”
“As a diehard fan of the original Princess Diaries, I’m beyond excited to be a part of bringing the third iteration of this beloved franchise to life,” Lim said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating its core tenants of female power, joy and mentorship with audiences worldwide.”
Based on the novel of Meg Cabot, it follows the story of Mia Thermopolis, a shy American teenager who discovers she is heir to the throne of a European kingdom and By the end of the second film – The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, became the Queen of the Genovia.
The premise and the casts are still under wraps and aside from Anne Hathaway (Queen Mia Thermopolis), casts of the film are still unknown.
Starting on October 15, you can upload Shorts up to 3 minutes long. This was a top requested feature by creators, so we’re excited to give you more flexibility to tell your story. This change applies to videos that are square or taller in aspect ratio, and won’t affect any videos you uploaded before October 15.
Youtube introduces Shorts as a way to compete with Facebook’s reels, IG’s Stories and Tiktook. Youtube Shorts’ limit is currently at 60 seconds and the increase to 3 minutes will give creatives more ways to include more content and flexibility in their shorts.
Youtube added that “they are working on improve recommendations for longer Shorts in the coming months.”
These young stars put on a SHOW this season, making their mark on the league and shifting the game in a whole new direction. Your 2024 All-Rookie Team came ready to WORK#WelcometotheWpic.twitter.com/IcU59Rgu71
Together with the announcement of the Rookie of the Year, WNBA also announced the players for the 2024 WNBA All-Rookie Team, that includes Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, arguably the two most popular of the 2024 rookie class.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has been named the 2024 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year, the WNBA announced today. She gives the Fever back-to-back winners of the annual award after Indiana forward-center Aliyah Boston earned the honor last season.
Clark received 66 votes from a national panel of 67 sportswriters and broadcasters. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese received one vote.
After weeks of waiting, the WNBA has officially named Caitlin Clark as the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. The announcement of the ROTY award have been controversial, since the league had been delayed its announcement, the league announced the MVP awards, took home by A’ja Wilson, last Sept. 22nd.
From #1 overall pick to ROTY 👑
Caitlin Clark is your 2024 WNBA @Kia Rookie of the Year!
WNBA Rookie Phenom Caitlin Clark rookie season is now in the books and to appreciate all the supports that Clark has received, she posted an emotional “Thank You” message to her fans for their support in her first year in the league and then ended with a “See you all in year two 🖤💫”
Caitlin Clark helped the Indiana Fever reached the WNBA Playoffs (20-20 record) for the first time since 2016 and lead the team in scoring, assists and steals (19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals).
Clark also broke and set a number of WNBA records including the first triple-double by a rookie in WNBA history, set single-game record for assists (19), single-season rookie record for three-pointer, and accolades like “Unanimous Associated Press Rookie of the Year and AP All-WNBA First Team,” being named both WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month and WNBA Rookie of the Month for August, and much more.
Not to mention all the records for digital consumption and merchandise sales for the league.
Year one ✅ — thank you to the many people who have supported me as I’ve been able to live my childhood dream. I’m filled with gratitude as I reflect on this past year of my life. See you all in year two 🖤💫 pic.twitter.com/SzdPuNVZNp
The same message was posted to her official IG account (@caitlinclark22.
If this just the start of Caitlin Clark’s WNBA career, I’m sure that her fans will be excited to see what her second year will be, where we will be getting a full off season of rest and time for working on her game.
All Philippine consulates in the United States will implement online voting for the upcoming midterm elections in May of next year.
New York Consul General Senen Mangalile said this is part of Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Resolution No. 11061 which directs Philippine embassies and consulates in the US to implement internet-based online voting.
Hopefully they also implement online voting in other embassies and consulates, so other OFW can place their votes.
That Karl-Anthony Towns 3-team trade to the Knicks is now official. NBA wrote “Karl-Anthony Towns joined the Knicks on Wednesday after the Minnesota Timberwolves sent their four-time All-Star to New York in a three-team trade that also included the Charlotte Hornets.”
Here’s the details of the trade;
Knicks receive:
Karl-Anthony Towns (via Timberwolves)
Draft rights to James Nnaji (via Hornets)
Timberwolves receive:
Julius Randle (via Knicks)
Donte DiVincenzo (via Knicks)
Keita Bates-Diop (via Knicks)
Future first-round pick (from Knicks via Pistons)
Hornets receive:
Charlie Brown (via Knicks)
DaQuan Jeffries (via Knicks)
Duane Washington Jr. (via Knicks)
2 future second-round picks (via Knicks)
2025 second-round pick (via Timberwolves)
Cash considerations
KAT also posted a farewell message, embedded above, to the Timberwolves organization and the Minnesota fans, where he played since 2016 and won Rookie of the Year awards, All-Rookie 1st Team and All-NBA 3rd Team (twice).
To the Timberwolves Family:
Nine years ago, I arrived in Minnesota as a young man with a dream. Little did I know that this place would become my home, and its people would become my family. Your love, support, and unwavering loyalty have fueled my journey and inspired me to be… pic.twitter.com/PP1pGzvGcx
The bus carrying six teachers and 39 students in elementary and junior high school was travelling from Uthai Thani province, about 300 kilometres (186 miles) north of Bangkok, for a school trip in Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi provinces on Tuesday.
The fire started while the bus was on a highway north of the capital and spread so quickly many were unable to escape.
Trairong Phiwpan, head of the police forensic department, said 23 bodies were recovered from the bus.
The recovery work and confirmation of the total dead had been delayed earlier because the burned vehicle, which was fueled with natural gas, remained too hot to enter for hours.
A real tragic accident that could have been be avoided just by doing a quick checkup on the bus.
In a move aimed at bolstering government revenue, the Philippines has introduced a 12% value-added tax (VAT) on digital services offered by foreign firms. This includes popular platforms like Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon, among other digital service providers (DSPs) — which have previously enjoyed tax exemptions.
Duey Guison, of Unbox.ph explains “Republic Act 112023, all services provided by resident and non-resident digital service providers regardless if they have a physical presence in the Philippines are subject to an additional 12% VAT. The law also adds a new provision to the Tax Code, where ‘”digital services delivered by foreign digital service providers are considered performed or rendered in the Philippines if the digital services are consumed in the Philippines.’”
The law does not only cover streaming service but basically “most” online service like ecommerce, digital platform or online merchant that caters to the Philippine market even if the company does not have any physical store or office in the Philippines.
In a press release, “Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero said the bill imposing a 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) on digital transactions will level the playing field for local and foreign digital service providers (DSPs), streamline tax administration and shore up government coffers by at least P80 billion in revenues.”
“Digital service is defined as any service supplied over the internet or other electronic network with the use of information technology and where the supply of the service is essentially automated. These include online search engines, online marketplace or e-marketplace, cloud service, online media and advertising, online platform, or digital goods.”
The law basically covers every companies doing online transaction.
OFW Darwin Pontanos took home the International Qualification of Espresso Italiano Champion last on September 17 at Esse Caffé, Bologna, Italy. Darwin Pontanos works as the Operation Supervisor at Dan Cafe, where started as a barista 11 years ago.
On SaudiBuzz, “Darwin Pontanos from Saudi Arabia’s Dan Café wins during the international qualification of Espresso Italiano Champion on September 17 at Esse Caffé, Bologna, Italy.”
Darwin Pontanos and his team was greeted by Saudi Ambassador to Italy, Faisal bin Sattam Abdulaziz Al-Saud for their win.
Darwin Pontanos will represent Dan Café (Saudi Arabia) and compete for the title in the world final on 26th November in Milan, Italy. Last year’s champion was Korean barista and coffee trainer Song Hye-Jin, she the first woman to win the international title of Espresso Italiano Champion.
A 7-foot-2-inch (2.18 m), 260-pound (120 kg) center, Mutombo moved to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo at age 21 to play college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas. In 1991, the Denver Nuggets chose Mutombo with the fourth overall pick of the NBA draft. During his NBA career, he played for six teams. Mutombo played in the NBA Finals for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001 and for the New Jersey Nets in 2003. He received the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times, tied with Ben Wallace and Rudy Gobert for the most awards. Mutombo led the NBA in blocked shots three times, led the league in rebounds twice, and was named to eight All-Star teams. On January 10, 2007, Mutombo reached second place on the list of NBA career leaders in blocked shots.
At the conclusion of the 2009 NBA playoffs, Mutombo announced his retirement. His number 55 jersey has been retired by both the Denver Nuggets and the Atlanta Hawks. Mutombo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 11, 2015.
NBA announced the death of one of the greatest big man in the NBA. He known for wagging his right index finger whenever he blocks a shot.
Drafted by the Denver Nuggets, Mutombo was the fourth overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft. After 6 season with the Nuggets, he signed a 5-year, $55 million free agent contract with the Atlanta Hawks, then one-year with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, he reached the NBA Finals while playing for both teams. In October 2003, he signed a two-year deal with the New York Knicks, then in 2004 the Knicks traded him to the Chicago Bulls, but before the start of the season the Bulls traded Mutombo to the Houston Rockets where he played for 5-years and retired in 2009 as Rockets.
Messages from the NBA and the teams that Mutombo played with;
We are deeply saddened by the news of Dikembe Mutombo’s passing.
Dikembe was a proud and honorable man, who lived up to the definition of a word that became synonymous with his name – humanitarian. He used his many gifts and his platform to improve the lives of everyone he… pic.twitter.com/zsLS4AihJ4
Today we mourn the loss of a true ambassador of our game, Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo. Dikembe spent 18 seasons in the NBA, including his final five as a Houston Rocket. His fun-loving personality and trademark finger-wagging endeared him to fans around the world, but Dikembe’s… pic.twitter.com/BfmKNGLGi3
More than 2 weeks since being announced, the Sony Playstation 5 Pro is now available for pre-order in Saudi Arabia.
This is what’s included in the box.
PS5® Pro Console Box Contents
PS5® Pro console
1x DualSense® wireless controller
2TB SSD built-in storage
2 Horizontal Stand Feet
HDMI® cable
AC power cord
printed materials
ASTRO’s PLAYROOM (Pre-installed game)
From Sony World, the official Sony distributor in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said that the PlayStation 5 Pro will be available in store by 7th November 2024 and with a retail price of SAR 3,399.00 or around ₱50,717.15 with the current exchange rate. If the release of the PS 5Pro will be similar to its predecessor, then expect a shortage of the gaming console once it become available, specially this holiday season.
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark has won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier has been awarded the Defensive Player of the Year, sources confirm.
Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson received MVP and Connecticut’s DiJonai Carrington won Most Improved Player.
Except for Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson MVP award, WNBA has yet to officially announce this years 2024 WNBA Individual Awards.
It would have been great if A’ja Wilson was also named as the DPOY, since Wilson lead the league in blocks, and top 5 in steal and rebounds.
As for the Rookie of the Year, with all other rookies sideline by the end of the regular season, Caitlin Clark will be the runaway winner for ROY, I was thinking that Cameron Brink could at least make it to a interesting race at the start of the season.
The WNBA delivered its most-watched regular season in 24 years, finished with its highest attendance in 22 years and set records for digital consumption and merchandise sales in 2024.
Coritha, a revered figure in the Philippine music scene, passed away on Friday, September 27, at 7:50 in the evening.
Her death was confirmed by Dr. Digna Santos, the youngest sister of Coritha’s partner, Luisito Santos.
The singer died at Santos’ residence in Barangay Maharlika East in Tagaytay City.
Coritha’s remains were cremated shortly after, at around 10:30 p.m.
A big loss for the Ph music industry.
From Rappler, “Coritha, whose real name is Socorro Avelino, is known for her folk-country anthems in the 1960s and 1970s, using native Filipino instruments.” “Oras Na”, “Lolo Jose”, “Bilanggo” and “Sierra Madre” are some of Coritha’s works.
Dave Campbell & Tim Reynolds | The Associated Press via NBA;
Per Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, New York is adding All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, sending back All-Star forward Julius Randle to the Timberwolves, along with guard Donte DiVincenzo and a protected first-round pick (via Detroit).
The Hornets soon emerged as a reportedly crucial third team in the deal, taking on DaQuan Jeffries and draft compensation to help facilitate considering the cap implications that come into play with a pair of “apron” teams.
A blockbuster trade but it appears that this is more on the salary cap situation of than anything else.
Shams Charania, reporting for The Athletics/NYTimes;
Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose is retiring, the 35-year-old guard told The Athletic. He made his announcement official Thursday morning via social media and by placing ads in local newspapers of the six NBA cities he played for: Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Detroit and Memphis.
Derrick Rose, like Grant Hill, is one of those players that we did not get to see their full potential and their career are cut short because of injury.
Entertainment Weekly has revealed that Deadpool & Wolverine is coming to digital retailers on October 1. That includes Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango. The MCU movie will then be released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 22. Bonus features include deleted scenes, audio commentary by director Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds, a gag reel, and many more.
Deleted scenes, audio commentary, gag reel and what not… are the contents are not available when the film become available for streaming, but knowing the internet. We’ll see these contents either on Youtube or being pirated online.
Alyssa Thomas and the Connecticut Sun were happy to finally close out an opening round series at home in two games.
Thomas had 19 points and 13 assists to help the Sun sweep Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever out of the playoffs with an 87-81 win Wednesday night.
Compared to Game 1, Indiana’s “Big 3” played a much better game; Caitlin Clark scored 25 points and 9 assists, Aliyah Boston had 16 points and 19 rebounds, while Kelsey Mitchell added had 17 points but committed 5 turnovers. But it was Sun’s veteran players who carried the team with five players scoring in double digits points.
Connecticut Sun will now face Minnesota Lynx, who swept the Phoenix Mercury, this Sunday, September 29, 2024 at the Target Center, Minneapolis.
