Sports, Entertainment, Athletes and Games Network: 08/25/21

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

The World Tonight | ANC (25 August 2021)

David Chua is now a proud Regal Baby

Local showbiz’s favorite oppa David Chua is now a full-fledged Regal Baby.

The chinito heartthrob, together with his fellow actors and actresses from ALV Talent Circuit, trooped to 39 Valencia Events Place last Friday Afternoon, August 20, to sign a two-year, eight-movie contract with Regal Films, one of the local industry’s prolific film production outfits headed by its respected matriarch, Mother Lily Monteverde.

Aside from David, rounding up Regal Babies Batch 2021 are renewing artists Kris Bernal, Teejay Marquez, Kiko Estrada; Miss World Philippines queens Casie Banks, Shannon Kerver, Katrina Llegado, Roberta Tamondong and Daena Resurreccion; and young hunks RJ Agustin, JB Saliba, Carlo Galano and Julian Roxas.

“It’s a dream come true,” exclaims David who admits to watching some of Regal Films’ most iconic films during his growing up years. “I think that had such a profound influence on me, and I’m sure those films affected me immensely, to the point where I vowed to be an actor someday. I’m a huge fan of the Regal Shocker movies.”

The star-studded contract signing also doubled as a fitting post-birthday celebration for the well-loved Regal matriarch who turned 83 just a day before, August 19.

Although he didn’t get to meet Mother Lily, David couldn’t help but still be awestruck, not just by her legacy as a filmmaker, but by her innate charm and lovable personality as well.

“It’s amazing how she’s still so vibrant and healthy,” David exclaims. “I think her naturally positive disposition, her passion for music, and of course, the continuous outpouring of love from family and friends always keeps her young, despite the lingering health crisis.”

“I think she deserves a lifetime achievement award for her role in discovering and mentoring some of our biggest stars,” he adds.

Onhand to witness the contract signing was ALV Talent Circuit top honcho Arnold Vegafria, himself a respected talent manager and movie producer as well.

“This is clearly a blessing to our celebrities,” Vegafria says. “Of course, with the ongoing pandemic, work has been scarce for most of our talents. That’s why we wanted to create these opportunities that we hope will bring the local showbiz industry back to life.”

Vegafria adds, “Of course, big, big thanks to Mother Lily and her daughter Roselle Monteverde, who believes in David and all our other talents. I’m excited because, of course, after this, we’ll be brainstorming over a lot of new film projects that will definitely bring back the glory days of the Regal Films empire.”

Thankfully, David has kept himself busy these past months with his directorial duties for his very own production outfit, Dark Carnival Productions, as well as his occasional behind-the-scenes work for Korina Sanchez‘s long-running TV show, Rated Korina.

While still few and far between, these ventures have kept him at bay while waiting for the go-signal for his TV5 projects under the auspice of his co-manager Jojie Dingcong, which were unfortunately sidelined since the start of last year’s pandemic.

He’s looking forward to the completion of his very own film production studio, slated for its grand unveiling around September. Located in Manila’s bustling Chinatown district, the 670 sqm facility also doubles as a convenient location for film shoots and post-production work.

He explains, “I’m very excited about the birth of this new baby of ours. We figured it would be more cost-effective to have our own space, and have something to offer as well to our brothers in the industry.”

Taking his cue from the 1989 Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams, David believes, “If you build it, they will come.”

David is also excited about the prospect of directing some of Regal’s web series projects. He says, “I was chatting with Ms. Roselle, and I told her that I’d like to try my hand at directing maybe one or two of their films someday. She asked me what genre I’d be most comfortable with, and I said horror. I’m crossing my fingers and pray that happens soon!“

https://orangemagazine.ph/2021/david-chua-is-now-a-proud-regal-baby/

Stop Taking Shortcuts In Your Life

And so, you stayed in Kadesh many days–all the time you spent there. Deuteronomy 1:46

Have you ever had a conversation that went something like this: “Honey, I think you are on the wrong road. I just saw the sign back there and we missed our turn about five miles back.” The husband answers, “Now, nothing to worry about. I know a shortcut that will save us a lot of time.”

The only problem is that the shortcut your husband knew about 20 years ago is no longer there, and the shortcut ends up being a much longer journey than if you had stayed with the main highway.”

Short-cuts usually end up costing you more time and money than if you stayed on the more traveled highway. Pastor Craig Clapper painfully learned that “hot tips” about getting to where you want to go can ultimately cost you dearly. That lesson was driven home when he was on a 54-day hike along the Appalachian Trail (a 2000+ mile stretch of mountainous terrain that reaches from Vermont to Georgia in the Eastern United States).

Here’s how Craig described his experience:

It took a life-threatening experience for me to understand the importance of traveling right. In the White Mountains of New Hampshire, there was a significant storm. I got a tip from another hiker that I could go off the main trail and work my way around the mountain, avoiding the worst of the storm. That side trail was a big mistake. I fell off a cliff and could have died. I got myself in a heap of trouble; I’ll have scars for the rest of my life from that fall. From that I learned that we must always travel right, never getting off the path God has for us.[1]

Shortcuts come in all sizes and descriptions. They are an attempt to get you somewhere the easy way, to get something you do not deserve, or to avoid something which you ought to face. Life is a lot like a journey which involves a starting point and an ultimate destination—one that can be reached only one way.

I often think of the 40-year sojourn of God’s children in the wilderness. Actually, the journey to Arad in the southern part of the Negev could have been made in less than 14 days (See Deuteronomy 1:2), but God has something else in mind, something they would learn only by facing the wilderness.

The King James translation of Romans 12:17 says we are to provide things “honest” in the sight of all men. Another translation put it, “Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.” And that means avoid the shortcut, the path to what you want or where you want to go which entails questionable means.

Would you be comfortable in flying on an airplane that was 98% safe, realizing that you are playing the odds which, of course, are in your favor but could capriciously let you down? Would you be just as uneasy if the inspector simply signed off on the safety record without actually making repairs which were vital to the safety of an aircraft?

Long ago William Shakespeare wrote, “To thine own self be true, and it shall follow as does day the night, thou canst not then be false to any man.” Living with your conscience, regardless of whether or not your “shortcut” becomes public knowledge, means doing the right thing, no matter who is watching.

Living without shortcuts means that you will someday stand in the presence of God with no regrets, no secrets, and best of all, no shame. It may be the longer path to where you want to go, but it is the surer one; of that you can be certain. Remember, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Resource reading: Deuteronomy 1:1-8

[1] Craig Clapper, “A Delightful Pause,” Spirit of Revival, Spring, 2008, 28.

https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/stop-taking-shortcuts-in-your-life/

WATCH: PCSO 9 PM Lotto Draw, August 25, 2021

Senate OKs postponement of BARMM polls to 2025 on 2nd reading

The Senate approved on second reading Wednesday, August 25, the bill seeking to postpone the May, 2022 election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Senate Bill No. 2214 seeks to amend the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and move the elections in the BARMM from May, 2022 to 2025.

The measure also states that “upon the expiration of the incumbent members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the President shall appoint 80 members of the BTA who shall serve up to June 30, 2025, or until their successors have been elected.”

The representation provided in the BOL would still be followed, senators agreed.

Not all senators, however, were convinced that next year’s Bangsamoro polls should be deferred, with Senator Panfilo Lacson registering his “no” vote, and Senators Imee Marcos and Ralph Recto saying they abstain on the approval of the bill.

During the plenary deliberations, Senator Francis Tolentino, sponsor of the bill, maintained the need to move the BARMM’s first regular election, citing the absence of an electoral code to govern the proceedings. He also appealed for the extension of the region’s transition supposedly derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tolentino also opposed Marcos’ proposal to defer the election only until December, 2023, arguing that previous Supreme Court rulings have stated that elections in the region, formerly called Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), must be synchronized with the national and local elections.

“We might jeopardize even the normalization process, the peace process, and all the mandates given to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority,” the chairperson of the Senate local government committee said.

For his part, Lacson, among several concerns, also said that the people of the BARMM should be consulted on the proposed suspension of their election.

“Since they ratified, as part of the BOL, the elections to be held May of next year, then isn’t it proper that they should also be consulted by way of a plebiscite if we are going to postpone the election?…Wouldn’t be unconstitutional if we don’t consult in the plebiscite the people who ratified [it]?” Lacson said in his interpellation on Tuesday, August 24.

While members of his Cabinet supported the postponement of the BARMM elections, President Duterte kept a “neutral” position and let Congress decide on matter.

But on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said he was informed that Duterte is expected to certify the bill as urgent.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/25/senate-oks-postponement-of-barmm-polls-to-2025-on-2nd-reading/