The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

Everyone was excited if not more than proud of Nora Aunor to have finally received this season her prestigious plum from the Order of National Artists Award which was denied to her not once but thrice. The recognition is for her enormous contributions to film and broadcast arts in the Philippines.  Not only her fellow artists from the film community but …

The visual arts community in the country is raising hoots about the conspicuous absence of the Order of National Artists for Visual Arts in 2022. Generally, there are painters, installation artists, artisans, etc. who are disappointed with the non-nomination and non-proclamation of any visual artist in the honor roll. Will their gripes just be relegated to the dustbin and backseat …

Transman actor Ice Seguerra didn’t mince words when she spoke about the delay of the signing into law of same-sex marriage which is languishing in the four walls of the Philippine Senate. “At least in the House of Representatives, the bill is already passed. I don’t know about the senators. It seems that there are people who lobby against it,” …

Award-winning filmmaker Jose Javier Reyes’ latest screen work “Secrets,” a Viva Films’ project that has been streaming in Vivamax isn’t only a daring and thoughtful narrative about unleashing fantasies and criminal minds, it is also a series of feel-good visuals of beautiful sceneries shot in vibrant, lively imagery like picture postcards or paintings except they’re in motion. Director of Photography …

By Jonathan P. Gesmundo  Doris E. Maniquiz – known to the more than 67,000 residents of Botolan, Zambales as Nanay Bing – originally did not belong to a political family.  In 1987, she left her low-paying job as an Engineering Instructor at MAPUA Institute of Technology (earning P2,500 a month) to devote her time at the hardware owned by her …

Arwind Santos remains as one of the top defensive players in the PBA even at age 41.  The evergreen big man is hailed by the PBA Press Corps as its Defensive Player of the Year and will be recognized with the prestigious honor during its 2022 Awards Night tomorrow at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center in Quezon City.  Santos will …

University of Santo Tomas and National University reigned supreme in the UAAP chess competitions recently at the FEU Engineering Building Auditorium.  The Tiger Woodpushers clinched their eighth championship with 28 points, winning in the last round over La Salle, 2.5-1.5 to reclaim the men’s crown for the first time after a decade of waiting.  “Ako kasi I can say na …

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit for his successful tenure as chief of the Philippine government’s sports arm.  No less than President Rodrigo Duterte gave the award to Ramirez during a simple ceremony at the Malacanang Palace on Thursday.  “I did not expect this,” said Ramirez, who bared that he …

Senators Christopher Lawrence Go and Pia Cayetano said they are eager for the National Academy of Sports (NAS) in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac to receive its pioneer batch of student-athletes after President Rodrigo Roa Duterte did his final inspection on the world-class sports complex recently.  Cayetano said the country’s first sports academy lays the foundation for building a …

By Jesse C. Ong A tagline easily catches one’s fancy upon passing the town’s arch and it reads: “Botolan yours to discover”.  MUNICIPAL HALL PERSPECTIVE (BOTOLAN, ZAMBALES) Rightfully so, there are loads of interesting things that every visitor ought to find out about the first-class municipality, which is located south of Iba, provincial capital of Zambales and just 197 kilometers …