FilAm Student and Rachel Whalen remember feeling gutted in high school when a former friend would mock her online postings, threaten to unfollow or unfriend her on social media and post inside jokes about her to others online. The cyberbullying was so distressing that Whalen said she contemplated suicide. Once she got help, she decided to limit her time on social media. It helps to take a break from it for perspective, said Whalen, now a 19-year-old college student in Utah. There's a rise in cyberbullying nationwide, with three times as many girls reporting being harassed online or by text message than boys, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The U.S....Keep on reading: FilAm Student Declares That Girls Cyberbully More Than Boys

Four fatalities have been reported in Batanes Province's Itbayat town following a 5.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the country's northernmost community at 4:16 a.m. on Saturday (July 27), according to various sources. Volunteers have been digging through rubble left when the temblor destroyed houses at dawn, and have retrieved four bodies, according to Josefa Ponce, secretary of the Itbayat municipal council. Itbayat District hospital staff identified the fatalities as Emma, Mary Rose and toddler Leona, all surnamed Valiente, who were buried when their old house collapsed in Barangay Sta. Maria (also known as Marapuy). The fourth fatality is being retrieved at Barangay Rael...Keep on reading: 4 dead, 19 hurt in Batanes quake

MANILA, Philippines --- One historic church and houses were damaged due to the 5.4-magnitude earthquake in Itbayat, Batanes in the early hours of Saturday.   As seen in photos by Dominic De Sagon Asa, the historic Itbayat Church was one of the severely damaged structures.       Also damaged were residents' houses, showing huge cracks on their walls and plates shattered on the floor.           According to Batanes Govenor Marilou Cayco, five were reported dead while 12 were wounded from the strong tremor. /muf...Keep on reading: LOOK: Historic church in Itbayat, Batanes, houses, damaged by magnitude 5.4 quake

Judy Ann Santos slammed a brand anew which used her pictures to promote slimming products without her permission. The actress warned the public that the endorsements were fake via her Instagram on Friday, July 26. It was just last June that she was included in a weight loss drink ad without her consent. «I am not endorsing or using BLACK LATTE AND/OR PURPLE MANGOSTEEN!» she wrote in her post. https://www.instagram.com/p/B0XrFqOH5qb/ She said there were already attempts to contact those selling the products but that she did not receive a reply. She noted that pictures of her from an endorsement shoot were used but that the product was changed with one that she does not promote. S...Keep on reading: Judy Ann Santos slams fake ads, says she doesn’t use slimming products

President Duterte offered a P3-million reward for the head of the communist rebel leader behind the killings of four police intelligence officers in Negros Oriental last week.   The President offered the bounty as San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza ordered the tolling of church bells nightly as a call to end the killings that have gripped Negros island over the last few days.   Taken hostage   Duterte said in a speech late on Thursday that he would increase the bounty to P20 million out of anger for the killings of the policemen on July 18 in Ayungon, Negros Oriental.   Duterte said the policemen were taken hostage, beaten up and killed then bu...Keep on reading: P3M for rebel leader’s head; bells toll to end killings

AURORA, Zamboanga del Sur---In an unfinished house in Brgy. Monte Alegre here, a mother and her child lie inside a white wooden coffin, victims of the mosquito-borne dengue disease.   The mother, 23-year-old Nonette Sabasales, died on Tuesday at the Mayor Hilarion A. Ramiro Sr. (MHARS) Medical Center in Ozamiz City after a four-day bout with the disease.   At the time of her dengue infection, Nonette was seven months pregnant, expecting a baby in September.   According to her mother, Jenelia Sabasales, Nonette first had a high fever, then experienced joint pains as rashes also showed throughout her body.   She also suffered later from diarrhea,...Keep on reading: Pregnant woman succumbs to dengue in Zamboanga del Sur

Law enforcement agencies in the Philippines had vowed to combat transnational child sexual exploitation following the arrest of a Filipino man tagged as one of Europe's most wanted child abuse offenders.   The National Bureau of Investigation Anti-Human Trafficking Division (NBI-HTD) chief Janet Fransciso said they were waiting to target other child sexual exploitation offenders through cross-border collaboration between foreign law enforcement groups.       The NBI-HTD had partnered with the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center, the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC), the Australian Federal Police an...Keep on reading: Pinoy nabbed for child sex exploitation

The Supreme Court has affirmed the Department of Labor and Employment's (Dole) decision ordering the chief finance officer of Kentex Manufacturing Corp. to pay more than P1.44 million to 57 surviving workers found to have been underpaid after the Valenzuela City slipper factory burned down in 2015.   The high court's First Division granted the Dole's petition and ruled that Kentex CFO Ong King Guan, aside from the company's chair and chief executive officer Beato Ang, should be held liable for the monetary awards.   Ong elevated the Dole-National Capital Region (NCR) decision dated June 26, 2015, which ordered him and Ang to pay the workers back wages.   ...Keep on reading: SC orders Kentex CFO to pay P1.4M to 57 surviving workers

The Duterte government is inviting comparisons to restrictive states like North Korea and Myanmar if it refuses to allow the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to investigate allegations of human rights abuses in the country, Human Rights Watch (HRW) deputy director Phil Robertson said on Friday.   «Given some of the statements made by the government after the Human Rights Council resolution, it looks like they got some North Koreans working in their speech writing department,» Robertson said.   Robertson was in the Philippines for a week of meetings following the passage of the Iceland-initiated resolution that mandates the rights body to look into the human rights si...Keep on reading: HRW urges PH cooperation in rights probe

GWANGJU, South Korea --- For all its spoils, winning an Olympic gold medal has its downsides. Joseph Schooling is finding that out. The swimmer who became a national hero with Singapore's first Olympic medal in the pool three years ago is searching to regain his form in time for next year's Tokyo Games. «Some people ask me how long it takes to get over the fact that you won in 2016,» he said. «It took me longer than I wanted to for sure.» He's still waiting. Schooling failed to advance in the 100-meter butterfly heats at the world championships on Friday. He finished 24th overall with a time of 52.93 seconds --- well off his winning time of 50.39 in Rio. In the last ...Keep on reading: Olympic champion Joseph Schooling struggles at world swim meet

  MANILA, Philippines --- Cooperation projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are not plotted to «frame» any country or are «imposed on anyone,» a Chinese official clarified on Friday. In a speech at the Belt and Road China-Philippines Forum on People-to-People Exchange & Economic Cooperation in Pasay City, the Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of China in Manila, Tan Qingsheng, reiterated that the so-called «China debt trap» is «completely groundless.» READ: China envoy insists no hidden agenda in deals with PH «All the cooperation projects are not 'imposed on anyone' or designed to 'frame' any other country,» Tan said. ...Keep on reading: BRI projects not set up to ‘frame’ PH, other involved countries – Chinese official

Only Lee Sung-kyoung could strut on a theater stage, strike a pose and say (not shout) «sweeg» and send fans into overdrive. Fondly called by her fans as LSK, the Korean model and actor is holding her first ever fan meet in the Philippines tomorrow, July 27, in SM Skydome, Quezon City.   Sung-kyoung won the hearts of K-drama addicts when she starred as barbecue-eating, fried rice-loving, naengmyeon-slurping Kim Bok-joo in «Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo.» But not many people know that she could be more «comedic» than the campy college wrestler she portrayed. Lee Sung-kyoung revealed this during the presser at Dolphy Theater in ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City. Pheno...Keep on reading: Lee Sung-kyoung brings joy in her Manila press conference

    MANILA, Philippines --- The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) sought on Friday the three-month closure of portions of El Nido in Palawan to rehabilitate the tourist spot. DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said in a text message that four outfalls --- including three in Bacuit Bay and one in Corong-Corong --- were recommended to be closed to tourists, while the remaining 20 islands in El Nido would not be affected. He said the closure would still be subject to discussions of the El Nido Inter-Agency Rehabilitation Task Force composed of the DILG, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of Tourism (DOT). ...Keep on reading: DILG seeks three-month closure of parts of El Nido

MANILA, Philippines--In a match where neither team was willing to budge, it was TNT's side that showed more grit down the stretch to hammer out a 95-92 decision over Barangay Ginebra for a headstart in their PBA Commissioner's Cup semifinal series Friday night at Araneta Coliseum in Cubao. KaTropa import Terrence Jones put together a sensational performance on defense in the payoff frame to finish with 24 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. That performance enabled the rest of the starters to shoulder the brunt of scoring and help erase a six-point deficit. «Obviously defense got us the win. It really helped us especially at the end of the game,» said coach Bong Ravena, w...Keep on reading: PBA semis: Terrence Jones, TNT shut down Ginebra for 1-0 lead

  TEHRAN, Iran --- Before Nazilla Akbari can check out the latest offerings on Twitter or YouTube, she scrolls through an array of icons on her smartphone, searching for the right workaround to bypass state censors.   It's a cat-and-mouse game that has become second nature in Iran, where the clerically-led government restricts access to popular social media sites and where U.S. sanctions create other barriers.   «Every day I struggle for 40 minutes just to get connected to uncensored internet,» Akbari, a 30-year-old software developer, told The Associated Press. "Even after I do, the internet is so slow that I have difficulty even watching a short video....Keep on reading: Iranians manage to surf the web despite tide of censorship

MANILA, Philippines --- A party-list representative was briefly held at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 for allegedly cracking a bomb joke, police said Friday. Maj. Querico Tomotorgo, chief of the Philippine National Police Aviation Station 2, said APEC Rep. Sergio Dagooc was held by airport authorities before his flight to Cagayan de Oro on Thursday afternoon. The police official explained that Dagooc joked about carrying a bomb inside his luggage when asked on its contents, which exceeded the allowable weight. "Tinanong siya kung ano ang laman. Nagreply si Rep. Dagooc na damit. Nagfurther ng question [yung duty passenger service agent]: 'Ano pang mga iba?' An...Keep on reading: Solon briefly held at Naia for allegedly cracking bomb joke

      MANILA, Philippines --- Sen. Joel Villanueva on Friday lamented how the «powerful and the ruling class» won as President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the Security of Tenure bill. «[A]ng katotohanan, minsan ay mas matimbang ang mga makapangyarihan at naghaharing-uri. Ang pagka veto ng ENDO ay isa sa mga manipistasyon ng mga ganitong pagkakataon,» Villanueva said in a statement. Villanueva, who sponsored the Security of Tenure bill, said «we knew right from the start that the odds were stacked against the measure.» But he said «we pressed on, knowing that many workers are relying on us to finally end illegal forms of contractualization,» adding that "th...Keep on reading: Villanueva: ‘Powerful, ruling class’ won after Duterte veto on endo bill

MANILA, Philippines---The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the chief finance officer of Kentex Manufacturing Corp., owner of a slipper factory which burned down in May 2015, to share the company's liability of P1.44 million to the factory's underpaid workers. The decision from the High Court's First Division was promulgated on July 8, reinstated the order from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-National Capital Region (NRC) that held Kentex chief finance officer Ong King Guan liable to pay the amount awarded to 57 factory workers who died in the fire. The Court' First Division decision set aside the March 27, 2017 decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) which discharged Ong ...Keep on reading: Supreme Court holds Kentex exec liable for P1.44-M unpaid wages

      MANILA, Philippines --- A Chinese official said he sees the «trust deficit» between the Philippines and China as a challenge in the bilateral relationship between the two countries. Speaking at the Belt and Road China-Philippines Forum on People-to-People Exchange & Economic Cooperation in Pasay City on Friday, Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of China in Manila Tan Qingsheng admitted that «even the closest friends or happiest couple can still have differences and arguments.» «The other challenge for us is the trust deficit. The relationship between two countries is similar to that of two persons,» Tan said. "Th...Keep on reading: Chinese exec sees ‘trust deficit’ as challenge in PH-China ties

MANILA, Philippines --- Opposition House members lambasted President Rodrigo Duterte's move to veto the Security of Tenure (SOT) Bill even if they hit the proposed law as already being «watered down.» READ:It's official: Duterte vetoes Security of Tenure bill Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said the President's veto of the bill just shows how Duterte favors the welfare of big businesses and bureaucrat-capitalists over that of workers.   «Malabnaw na version na nga lang ng SOT bill ang pinapipirmahan sa kanya ay vineto pa nya ito dahil mas mahalaga sa kanya ang mga kapitalista kesa sa mga naghihirap na mga mangagagawa,» Zarate, a House deputy minority leader, said in a ...Keep on reading: House Makabayan bloc: Duterte favored big business on ‘Anti-Endo bill’ veto

    MANILA, Philippines --- «Goin' Bulilit,» one of the longest running kiddie comedy show on television, goes off the air with its final episode on August 4.   The ABS-CBN gag show's head writer Josel Garlitos and one of its directors Badjie Mortiz announced the end of the shows on their respective Instagram accounts Thursday.   «Ngayon #AngHulingDalawangLinggo na lang ang #GoinBulilit ... Mga graduates, cast, staff, crew, mga manonood at sa mga lahat ng sumubaybay sa 14 na taon ng paborito niyong award-winning comedy gag show tuwing Linggo, ano ang #KwentongBulilit mo? @goinbulilitonline #GoodbabyeBulilit,» Garlitos wrote.   https://www....Keep on reading: After 14 years, ‘Goin’ Bulilit’ goes off the air

MANILA, Philippines---President Rodrigo Duterte's supposed preference to hang convicts as form of capital punishment shows just how «barbaric» and «inhumane» his administration is, Senator Leila De Lima said Friday.   The opposition senator issued the statement after Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo said that should the President have his way, he would prefer the use of rope in hanging convicts as a «low-cost» way of execution as his administration pushes with the restoration of the death penalty.   READ:Duterte might prefer use of rope for low-cost death penalty -- Palace     https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1145376/duterte-might-prefer-use-of-ro...Keep on reading: De Lima says Duterte preference for death by hanging is ‘barbaric, inhumane’

MANILA, Philippines---After backtracking his earlier statement that President Rodrigo Duterte «vetoed» the Security of Tenure Bill, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo finally confirmed that the Chief Executive turned down the proposed law.   «Security Tenure Bill (was) vetoed by the President,» Panelo told reporters Friday.   On Thursday night, Panelo confirmed in a text message that Duterte vetoed the bill.   But less than an hour after he sent the message to Palace reporters, he retracted it and said: «Security Tenure Bill not yet vetoed. PRRD still studying the pros and cons. Sorry about the error. We will know tomorrow for sure.» READ: D...Keep on reading: It’s official: Duterte vetoes Security of Tenure bill

    WASHINGTON --- The Justice Department said Thursday the federal government will resume executing death-row inmates for the first time since 2003, ending an informal moratorium even as the nation sees a broad shift away from capital punishment. Attorney General William Barr instructed the Bureau of Prisons to schedule executions starting in December for five men, all accused of murdering children. Although the death penalty remains legal in 30 states, executions on the federal level are rare. «The Justice Department upholds the rule of law --- and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system,» Barr sa...Keep on reading: US government will execute inmates for first time since 2003

      LUCENA CITY -- A cargo truck driver was killed and his helper injured following a vehicular accident along the Maharlika Highway in Atimonan town in Quezon province early Friday. The Atimonan police reported that the cargo truck being driven by Domingo Llaneta Jr., 33, was sideswiped by an oncoming Bicol-bound JAC Daet Express passenger bus in Barangay (village) Tinandog at around 12:10 a.m. Llaneta lost control of the wheels as the truck went wayward, consequently crashing into a house at the side of the road. The truck's helper, Alberto Giba, 34, sustained serious injuries. Llaneta died while being taken to Dona Marta District Hospital at t...Keep on reading: Truck driver dead, 1 hurt in Quezon road accident

  Many brands have rolled out products marking the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's landing on the moon. Among these brands, luxury Swiss watchmaker Omega played a vital role in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (Nasa) landmark events.   On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 mission commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin took the first steps on the moon. Aldrin wore his Omega Speedmaster, making it the first watch on the moon.   To celebrate the milestone, Omega distributors worldwide simultaneously held a commemorative exhibit opening at the exact hour of the historic arrival.   At the Omega Apollo 11 Speedmaster exhibit at the...Keep on reading: Omega remakes astronaut Speedmaster for aficionados

  Guests at the President's fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) Monday stuck to Filipiniana, mainly terno for the women and barong Tagalog for the men. The women, however, still managed to make a statement and show a bit of personality in their sartorial choices.   A few butterfly sleeves quivered with feathers or beaded fringe, and several tops had tiered flounces that added unneeded volume.   Colors ranged from traditional ecru and beige to jewel tones like ruby red, emerald green and peacock blue.   Embellishments came in the form of floral or metallic appliqus, lace inserts or topstitching. While many women opted for skirts, others c...Keep on reading: From Audrey Zubiri to Loren Legarda: Terno top with pants was hottest look at the Sona

  Sinulid: Altered Translation," the culminating project of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Fashion and Design Merchandising (FDM) graduates, set the groundwork for innovative and diverse fashion for today's generation.   Held last July 18, it was the second installment of a three-part event, with a range of elegant, trendy, avant-garde and jaw-dropping designs.   On the ground floor of SM Aura Atrium were pop-up booths of ready-to-wear, some conceptual, and others easier to wear.   Created by Fashion Merchandising students, it included Filipiniana-inspired fashion flanked by a campy giant can of sardines, by Pino by Nicole Strawford. ...Keep on reading: How Benilde designers are innovating

ILOILO CITY, Philippines ---Four more persons including a child were shot dead in three separate incidents in Negros Oriental on Thursday bring the number of fatalities to seven in a spate of killings in just one day in the province. Shootings occurred in the towns of Siaton, Ayungon and Sta. Catalina, according to initial reports reaching the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office. Motorcycle-riding gunmen shot dead Raklin Astorias in Barangay Maloh in Siaton, the southernmost municipality of the province. At 5:10 p.m., assailants on board a motorcycle repeatedly shot Reden Eleuterio who was driving a motorcycle in Barangay Tampocon II in Ayungon town. Eleuterio, 50, was take...Keep on reading: 4 shot dead in 3 separate incidents in Negros Oriental

MANILA, Philippines --- Cloudy skies with scattered rain and thunderstormswill prevail over theIlocos Region, MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Zambales, and Bataan due to the southwest monsoon or «habagat,» the weather bureau said in its 4:00 a.m. Friday forecast. Metro Manila and the rest of the country meanwhile will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers due to localized thunderstorms, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported. Pagasa said the whole country would experience southwest-westlight to moderate wind speed while coastal waters would be slight to moderate (0.6 to 2.1 me...Keep on reading: ‘Habagat’ to bring rain, thunderstorms over Ilocos, Mimaropa — Pagasa

The 10 best cooling fans of 2019 are becoming the talk of the town as every buyer and reviewer cannot wait to get their hands on them. These fans are the definition of comfort, affordability, and accessibility. While we've written different things to keep you comfortable, here we present to you 10 best cooling fans of 2019.   BEST TOWER FANS ON AMAZON Lasko T42950 Wind Curve Tower Fan Some reviewers believe that this tower fan due to it's the 20-inch size and low price is a low-end tabletop model. However, it is very powerful and runs at high velocity, which makes it a huge winner. This cooling fan has generated multiple reviews making it a ring leader in the family of ...Keep on reading: 10 Best Cooling Fans of 2019 on Amazon

Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway is pregnant with baby No. 2 Anne Hathaway is signing up for more diaper duty. The 36-year-old actress announced Wednesday on her Instagram account that she and her husband, actor, and jewelry designer Adam Shulman, are expecting their second child. She posted a photo of her growing belly with the caption «It's not for a movie...» Related Articles FaceApp Russia's Back Door To Your Data Kawhi Leonard Arrives At Los Angeles Clippers Hathaway also went on to say that she was sending «extra love» to anyone with fertility issues because she's experienced it, too, with both pregnancies. The new baby will join big brother, Jonathan, n...Keep on reading: Oscar Winner Anne Hathaway Is Pregnant With Baby No. 2

Netflix is the most visited platform in the world today for new Netflix series and movies. Ever since its conception, it has had an increasing number of subscribers/viewers on a daily basis who have come to see movies of their choice. Netflix Original has been designed in such a way that movies that are yet to hit popular download websites are shown clear and nice. Netflix works hand-in-hand with the producers of these movies and tv series; they actually buy it from them to be displayed on their platform. It is sold at a very exorbitant price, which is why Netflix requires a form of access being purchased before they can be seen by viewers. Once payment has been made, access is grante...Keep on reading: New Netflix Series

Elon Musk- Tesla lost $408 million in its latest quarter as it struggles to prove it can make money selling electric cars at mass-market prices. The setback announced Wednesday had already been telegraphed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Still, it underscored Tesla's ongoing challenges and helps explain why the company's shares have plunged by more than 20% this year while the Standard & Poor's 500 indexes have surged by 20%. On the upside, Tesla's second-quarter revenue climbed 47% from the same time last year to $5.2 billion. It also generated $614 million in cash, helping fatten its bank account to $5 billion through June. That's money Tesla is going to need to repay its massive deb...Keep on reading: Elon Musk: Tesla Lost $408M This Is Why

Facebook survived its latest brush with U.S. privacy regulators, at the cost of a record $5 billion fine and other restrictions imposed by the Federal Trade Commission. But it's far from home free. While the company looks set to prosper in the wake of the FTC case, it faces a series of other investigations into its privacy practices in Europe and across the U.S. Concerns over the limits of the just-settled probe could fuel efforts to craft tougher privacy laws at the state and federal level. The social network is also gearing up to fight investigations into its allegedly anticompetitive behavior, such as Facebook's habit of buying would-be rivals like Instagram and blatantly duplic...Keep on reading: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Laughs At $5 Billion Fine