quarksnleptons

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VLOG: FAKE NEWS 101 🎬

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EMERGENCE OF THE INTERNET: TRADITIONAL VS. ONLINE JOURNALISM

The Internet is perhaps one of the greatest inventions of our time. It has a profound impact on almost every aspect of of our lives. The formation and implementation of the Internet has changed the way we communicate, acquire information, entertain, and even educate ourselves.

Before, not everyone can access the internet. But now, almost all of us has an access to internet through our mobile devices, etc. News from across the globe is shared via the Internet.

The emergence of the Internet contributed a lot to the development of Online Journalism and changes the way how Southeast Asians are consuming information. Blogging and social communities are driving trends. Online search and the amount of uploaded and downloaded video files grow significantly.

A documentary entitled "Online Journalism in Southeast Asia" by Klaus Bardenhagen proves that Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing online markets worldwide. With case studies from Singapore, Cambodia and Malaysia, Klaus Bardenhagen and Madeleine Fulst analyzed the trends and challenges of the new media and tells how traditional media is changing and how younger generation rely on the Internet to get information.

The documentary shows that people respond well to information shared by their friends or family via social media than the news produced by the traditional media.

Traditional journalists are now adapting to the new media and find ways to make the content more attractive by adding videos and making it more interactive for the readers and viewers.

On the other hand, online journalists get to interact with the audience more directly and get more exposure by blogging and using social media to share information which could lead to them improving the way they present their content.

#OnlineJournalismQuiz #OnlineJournalisminSoutheastAsia #OnlineJournalismvsTraditionalJournalism

photo credits:

https://www.hookson.com/top-10-social-media-tips-for-brands/

https://anewmediaera.wordpress.com/2015/04/28/citizen-journalism-vs-traditional-journalism/amp/

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WAR ON PHILIPPINE MEDIA

"Responsible journalism also means complying with the law," said National Press Club (NPC) President Paul Gutierrez in a statement released last January 16. "To say that the fate of one media entity found to have run afoul with the law translates to media repression in the country is stretching the argument a bit too much."

NPC of the Philippines expressed support for Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) ruling against online news organization Rappler Inc.

As we all know, Rappler's license to do business was cancelled by SEC for allegedly violating constitutional provisions on foreign ownership of media entities. It further said Rappler is a "mass media entity that sold control to foreigners," and it undertook a "deceptive scheme to circumvent the Constitution." The Constitution prohibits foreign ownership in media institutions.

But Rappler has repeatedly said it is owned and managed by Filipinos. It was founded in 2012 by a team led by veteran journalist Maria Ressa.

This issue is triggered by Rappler’s commentaries and criticisms of President Rodrigo Duterte and his policies. Pres. Duterte has said many times that he finds these criticisms unfair, and that he will not take them sitting down although he cleared that he had nothing to do with the move of the SEC to shut down online news agency Rappler.

Pres. Duterte also said that press freedom is not the issue, it is the abuse of power by the foreigners who own media outlets and use them to wield influence.

He has repeatedly warned the owners and operators of other media organizations like the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the ABS-CBN broadcast network that, if they persist in judging him and his administration they should be ready when the time comes when they have violations and he will surely do something about it.

True enough, the Inquirer owners were suddenly charged for not paying correct taxes on their other businesses, and of continuing to occupy government land after the expiration of their lease on their property. The government refused to extend the lease contract and the Prietos were given three days to vacate the land they had developed and occupied for more than 25 years.  More important, they have decided to engage in talks for the sale of the newspaper.

Similarly, the President called out ABS-CBN for airing allegedly biased reports against him from the time he was still campaigning for presidency. He also accused the management of the Lopez-owned media company of taking his money and failing to air his advertisements during the election campaign.

And now Rappler’s time has come. The Duterte administration criticizes the news agency for supposedly receiving money from foreigners, a veiled reference to the SEC decision which voided Rappler's permit to operate for supposedly violating media ownership rules with the non-voting investments of Omidyar Network of eBay auction site founder Pierre Omidyar and US-based North Base Media.

The issue focuses on the agreement that Rappler entered into one of its Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDR) holders as a device for allowing foreigners to invest in Filipino-owned companies as “passive investors” without voting rights or control over the company. PDR allows Rappler to get the approval by a two-thirds vote of the PDR holders for any changes in the charter and bylaws of the web-based news organization.

The SEC has ruled that the PDRs issued by Rappler ceded some control to a foreign entity, and thus violated the constitutional provision prescribing 100-percent ownership and control by Filipinos of media organizations.

First of all, I think it is unfair to accuse the SEC of being stewards of Duterte even if it is obvious that the SEC is being biased against Rappler. Although the SEC commissioners should have been vocal about strict compliance with the nationality provisions on ownership and control of media corporations so that issue like this could be avoided. This could also be a potential topic for a research project in the future.

Secondly, I believe that we must support Rappler to avoid its defects in their registration because according to Rappler, Omidyar, the main holder of its PDRs, offered to waive its prerogative under the agreement when it learned of the issue that prompted the cancellation of Rappler’s registration.

The New York Times (NYT) published an editorial entitled , "After Killing Spree, Is a Free Press Mr. Duterte's Next Victim?" saying that Duterte "stands out for his viciousness" among leaders.

"Exposing such brazen abuse of power is a hallowed mission of a free press, so it should come as no surprise that authoritarians like Mr. Duterte usually go after independent media," the editorial says.

Also, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines also denounced the government, calling the move a vendetta by Pres. Duterte and urging media workers in the country to protest.

Lastly, I can say that it is clear that, if you are against Duterte and his administration, you are can be in danger because he can find ways to shut you down regardless of who or what you are. I think that we should stand together to protect the freedom of the press and freedom of speech. And we should not let the government silence the truth.

(photo credit: https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/FE0C9FB4F7AE41A7A1E38D438DF39C9A/duterte-rappler-inquirer-abs-cbn-20180119.jpg)

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REFINED INCOME TAX

TRAIN Law's main advantage includes the reduction of personal income tax of majority of the individual tax payers. The obvious intention of this new law is to update our previous income tax system. Being the largest source of funds for government projects, etc. The income tax system surely plays a crucial role in increasing the government's funds.

Prior to the enactment of the new law, an individual employee would normally have to pay income tax at the rate of 5% to 32%.

Under the TRAIN Law, an individual employee will be exempted from income tax if he or she has an income of P250, 000 or less. While those with an income above of the said amount will be subjected to the rate of 20% to 35% and 15% to 35% in 2023. Also, the deductible 13th month pay and other benefitsare now higher at P90, 000 compared to P82, 000 under the previous law.

Further, self-employed individuals and/or professionals whose gross sales or receipts do not exceed P3, 000, 000 to avail an 8% tax on gross sales in excess of P250, 000.

The final income tax rate for interest income received under the expanded foreign currency deposit system was increased from 7.5% to 15%. Capital gains tax from sales of shares of stocks not traded on the stock exchange is similarly fixed at the rate of 15% based on the net capital gain.

However, there are some items that were removed in the TRAIN Law. The personal exemption of P50, 000, additional exemption of P25, 000 per dependent child, and the premium health and hospitalization insurance of P2, 400 per year.

In terms of filing of the income tax returns, the new law mandates that individual and corporate income tax returns shall consist of only four pages. But, this is still to be implemented by the executive department by issuance of the revised income tax returns.

Lastly, the deadline for filing the Quarterly Income Tax Return (BIR Form 1701Q) for the first quarter will be moved on or before May 15 of the same taxable year. Also, for those who avail the installment payment for payment in excess of P2,000, the second installment payment shall be made on or before October 15 following the close of the taxable year.

This newly adjusted income tax rates of each individual surely affects the lives of Filipino people, rich or poor.

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DOES THIS TRAIN LAW HELP US OR NOT?

Last January 16 we conducted interviews on random people about the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law or the Republic Act No. 10963. This is the new signed bill that aims to generate revenue to fund a multi-billion infrastructure program key to the government’s economic agenda.

We asked them if they are familiar on it and their opinions on how this TRAIN law will affect their everyday living.

Out of 10 people, only 4 of them know what TRAIN law is, and here are their opinions:

“Masaya kaso kawawa yung madadagdagan ng tax. Tsaka may increase sa bilihin, paano nalang ang mga mahihirap?” – SEO Link Builder

“Sa tingin ko makakatulong ang TRAIN law sa pag unlad ng Pilipinas pero depende pa kung may mga corrupt na government officials.” – Leo Angelo Vilavicencio, Graphic Designer

“Pabor at di pabor, kasi makakatulong nga yung excise tax sa sweetend beverage kung gusto mo ng healthy lifestyle, ganun. Pero kung may ari ka ng sari-sari store or maliit na grocery anlaki ng impact nun sa negosyo, baka malugi.” – Government employee

“It’s very unfair lalo na sa mga orinaryong Pilipino. Ganun pa rin naman kasi may tax pa rin.” Carla Grimaldo, Junior Accountant

While the 6 of them do not have any idea of what TRAIN law is.

Well there’s been a lot of confusion and some people are outdated from our economy’s changes maybe it’s because our tax laws haven’t been updated for two decades and people are used to seeing and hearing the same tax rates over and over again.

Hopefully, this benefit for the workers can still be achieved despite the increase in prices of some goods that they consume.

#Does TRAIN Law really help us or not?

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COST AND BENEFITS OF TRAIN LAW

The Republic Act No. 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion also known as TRAIN Law took effect last January 1, 2018. It aims to earn revenues to fund its "Build, Build, Build" projects and other programs. It also imposes new taxes in the form of excise tax on sweetened beverages and non-essential services and removes the tax exemption of Lotto and other PCSO winnings amounting to more than P10,000. It affects the Filipino citizens either rich or poor. But how well do we really understand the TRAIN Law and Excise Tax? Read on.

One of the advantages of the TRAIN law is that it will reduce the personal income tax rates of each individual, and people earning a lower personal income will be free from tax. However, it also increases the tax on certain passive incomes, documents (documentary stamp tax) as well as excise tax on petroleum products (which may result to increase of fares), minerals, automobiles, and cigarettes.

Another thing is that there are amendments to Value Added Tax or VAT which lessen the burden of taxpayers. Starting 2019, the sale of drugs and medicines for diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension will be exempted from VAT. Association dues, membership fees, and other assessments and charges collected by homeowners associations and condominium corporations are expressly VAT exempted too.

But, there are new taxes in the form of excise tax on sweetened beverages and non-essential services. Cosmetic procedures like improving, altering, or enhancing the patient’s appearance is now subject to excise tax of 5%. Sweetened beverages like carbonated drinks, energy drinks, sweetened tea and coffee, fruit drinks and other similar products will be levied an excise tax of P10 per liter of volume capacity. But there are exemptions to 100 percent natural fruit juices, 100 percent natural vegetable juices, yogurt and fruit flavored yogurt beverages, meal replacement beverages, weight loss product and all milk products.

Does this TRAIN Law helps us Filipinos or not?

(photo credit: https://www.ofwnewsfeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ofw-newsfeed-what-does-train-law-mean-to-ordinary-filipinos-business-news)

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THE TOP 10 NEWSMAKERS OF 2017

As 2017 comes to an end, here's a recap of the headliner person/s or events in the Philippines which marked our minds:

1. MARAWI SIEGE AND DECLARATION OF MARTIAL LAW IN MINDANAO

On May 23, 2017, the ISIS-inspired Maute group and the Abu Sayyaf have laid siege of the Islamic City of Marawi.

The Marawi attack by the Islamic extremists is a reaction to a botched operation to capture Isnilon Hapilon the self-proclaimed emir of the ISIS inspired radical extremists by the AFP and PNP operatives. In short the AFP has initiated the armed hostilities and the Abu Sayyaf and Maute group have just reacted and executed their seemingly pre-planned siege of the Islamic City of Marawi. It resulted to simultaneous but coordinated attacks in the central and commercial areas in Marawi. They have burnt the City jail, occupied the medical center, burnt a college and the St Mary Cathedral. They had robbed all the banks, occupied strategic buildings and blocked highways. They also have held more than two hundred hostages (mostly Christian including a priest) to shield them away from the bombs to make their successful escape. Buildings including the commercial center as well as residential in the central trading center of Marawi have been destroyed and literally flattened to the ground as a result of artillery fires and direct hits of air strikes and surgical bombings done by the AFP in spite of the well-known fact that civilians are still trapped in many of these buildings.

It led to the declaration of Martial Law by President Duterte not only to Marawi but to all 27 provinces and 33 cities in Mindanao. President Rodrigo R. Duterte declared Martial Law in Mindanao through Presidential Decree (PD) 216 which takes effect starting 10pm of the 23rd of May 2017.

The President made the proclamation when he together with his top military and security advisers were starting with his State visit to Moscow. The PD 216 declaration was made a few hours after the botched AFP/PNP operation to serve the warrant of arrest for Jihadist leader Isnilon Hapilon and the early hours of rampage by extremist followers of Marawi City

2. RESORTS WORLD MANILA ATTACK

A lone gunman triggered panic in Pasay City last June 2, 2017, after gunshots were heard and a fire broke out at Resorts World Manila (RWM).

The SITE Intelligence Group reported that a Filipino operative of the Islamic State (ISIS) was behind the attack, but police said the "isolated" incident was not a terrorist attack. The gunman was later found dead after apparently burning and shooting himself.

He is identified as Jessie Carlos, a former tax specialist at the Department of Finance who was heavily in debt due to casino gambling. He fired gunshots and set ablaze gaming tables at the casino floor of the Resorts World Manila.

The attack left 37 people dead, including Carlos himself and the wife of Pampanga 3rd District Representative Aurelio Gonzales Jr.

3. WAR ON DRUGS AND EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS

Extrajudicial killings were rampant ever since Rodrigo Duterte became the president of the Philippines. There were a lot of young victims including Kian Loyd Delos Santos and Carl Angelo Arnaiz.

Both Delos Santos and Arnaiz were killed by Caloocan policemen and were accused of being involved in drugs and fired shots to the police prompting the police to return fire but were innocent. Both their families even deny that they were drug addicts and drug pushers.

Up to now, their families still continue to seek justice for them.

4. MOCHA USON APPOINTED AS PCOO ASEC. AND BOARD MEMBER OF MTRCB

Entertainer-turned-blogger Mocha Uson was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as assistant secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).

She is the lead vocalist of the group Mocha Girls writes Mocha Uson Blog on Facebook and also a staunch supporter of Duterte on social media, was earlier appointed as board member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

The PCOO is being run by Secretary Martin Andanar.  Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, meanwhile, is in charge of the PCOO’s content and messaging, including the final release and distribution of information. 

Uson’s term will expire on September 30, 2017.

5. CHR'S P1000 BUDGET FOR 2018

Lawmakers frustrated over the performance of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) gave the agency a P1,000 budget for next year, effectively rendering it useless. One-hundred nineteen lawmakers voted for the token budget, while 32 were against it.

Reps. Raul Del Mar (1st district, Cebu) and Edcel Lagman (1st district, Albay) said giving the CHR a P1,000 budget would mean abolishing it.

CHR Chair Chito Gascon said the commission will keep doing its job despite the budget given by the House.

Aside from the CHR, the House also gave the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) a P1,000-budget for 2018.

The Senate will have its own decision on the fate of the budgets of the CHR, NCIP, and ERC. The Senate will act on the proposed 2018 budget bill as approved by the House of Representatives. Differences will be reconciled in a conference committee. The reconciled version will be returned to the two chambers for ratification.

The administration plans to have President Rodrigo Duterte sign a new budget law before the next fiscal year begins in January.

6. MARLOU ARIZALA AKA XANDER FORD

Marlou Arizala now Xander Ford took social media by storm after he revealed his new look.

Internet personality Marlou Arizala, who goes by the name Xander Ford, appeared before national TV on ABS-CBN's lifestyle show "Rated K" after he went through cosmetic enhancement procedures.

His transformation caused an uproar on social media, as #XanderFord immediately became one of the top trending topics on Twitter.

Arizala was a former member of Internet group Hasht5 before leaving in 2016 to pursue his solo career.

7. THE HAZING CASE OF HORACIO CASTILLO III

Horacio "Atio" Castillo III, a 22-year-old freshman law student at the University of Santo Tomas died after a supposed "welcoming party" of the Aegis Juris Fraternity (AJF) on September 16.  As it turned out, what happened that night was a hazing rite and Atio died.

AJF is based at the UST Faculty of Civil Law. Its current dean, Nilo Divina, is an alumnus of the fraternity. Atio brought this up to assuage his parents' apprehensions when he asked permission to join the fraternity.  He also assured them that the fraternity does not conduct hazing.

He has been laid to rest, but the fight for justice by his loved ones continues.

8. THE 31ST ASEAN SUMMIT AND RELATED SUMMITS HOSTED IN PH

Leaders from twenty countries from the ASEAN Member States, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia, United States (US), Canada, European Union (EU), and the United Nations Secretary General gathered in a two-day summit in Manila for the 31tst ASEAN Summit and Related Summits last November 13 and 14, 2017. It is the second of the two ASEAN Summits that the Philippines hosted this year.

Under the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World,” ASEAN Leaders discussed the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the way forward and the appointment of the new Secretary-General of ASEAN. They also exchanged views on pressing regional and international issues.

Pres. Duterte is also the chair of the ASEAN’s 40th Anniversary Commemorative Summits with the United States of America, Canada and the European Union; 20th ASEAN Plus Three Commemorative Summit; the 20th ASEAN-China Summit, 19th ASEAN-Republic of Korea Summit; 20th ASEAN-Japan Summit; 12th East Asia Summit; 15th ASEAN-India Summit; and the 9th ASEAN-UN Summit.

The ASEAN Leaders signed the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, a landmark document that further seeks to strengthen social protection, access to justice, humane and fair treatment, and access to health services for the migrant workers of Southeast Asia.

At the Closing Ceremony of the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, President Duterte hand over the Chairmanship of ASEAN to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, the incoming Chair of ASEAN for 2018.

9. IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT VS CJ LOURDES SERENO

The House committee on justice reviews the verified impeachment complaint against Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

There were two complaints against Chief Justice Sereno. The first complaint, endorsed by at least 25 members of the House of Representatives, was filed by Atty. Larry Gadon on August 30 and the second complaint, filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and the Vanguards of the Philippine Constitution, it was filed on September 4 after 16 lawmakers endorsed it.

Atty. Larry Gadon accused Sereno of failing to be truthful in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). He also questioned her travel expenses and allowances she had supposedly given her staff, as well as SC resolutions that did not go through the en banc.

Sereno was appointed as the country's first female chief justice in 2012, after the impeachment of then Chief Justice Renato Corona.

10. THE DENGVAXIA CONTROVERSY

Dengvaxia, a vaccine aimed at protecting hundreds of thousands of school children from dengue may have put their lives at risk. Around 10 percent of over 800,000 students who were immunized with Dengvaxia, but did not have a prior dengue infection, now face contracting a "severe disease," according to the vaccine's manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur.

The World Health Organization has issued a recommendation that Dengvaxia should not be administered to people who have not had dengue before. The WHO said Dengvaxia "prevents disease in the majority of vaccine recipients but it should not be administered to people who have not previously been infected with dengue virus."

Following the announcement, the Department of Health (DOH) halted its nationwide dengue immunization program and has demanded billions in pesos as a refund for the vaccines.

Meanwhile, both Congress and the Justice Department are digging deeper into the controversy, with officials from the current and previous administrations pointing fingers at each other.

[quarksnleptons]

HOW THE INTERNET AFFECTS OUR LIVES

In a short period of time, the Internet had a big impact on almost every facet of our lives. With the Internet, we are able to access more information, unlimited possibilities, and a whole new world of communities. It has grown and evolved to influenced how we interact to people, how we find information, how we conduct business and how we proceed our lives day by day. And as much as it has changed our lives, in the process, the Internet itself has changed too.

The internet has positive and negative effects on our lives. One of the positive effects of internet is that it provides allegiances that cross traditional borders. The Internet is considered as the most effective means of communication among people, including online emailing and instant messaging. It also accelerates globalization because it makes possible for businesses and companies to do transactions with their clients and customers.

However, the Internet also frightens us; First, because illegal or inappropriate materials can be found in the internet. Second, the addiction to online social networking sites can disturb a person's way of living and may affect his psychological or mental health. Lastly, some criminals use the internet for spreading computer viruses or even intercepting credit card or bank details for spurious purposes and it also provides them access to different social media accounts by different people.

The Internet also reinvites warfare specifically called cyberwarfare and threatens the state. Cyberwarfare is the computer or network-based conflict involving politically motivated attacks by a state on another state. These type of attacks attempts to disrupt the activities of organizations, states, companies, etc. especially for strategic or military purposes and many more.

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Me, myself and I.

I am Mercedes M. Villavicencio. You can also call me Ched. I am a 3rd year AB Journalism student at University of the East, Manila.

I love writing, reading books, watching films or series, photography and more. I am a blogger, writer and photographer. I am a former staff writer of "Ang Munting Simbahan," a school newspaper publication. My motto in life is "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." A famous quotation from Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher.

In the near future, I want to be a journalist and a teacher. I also want to write children books, magazines, etc. and make films or write scripts.

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NUCLEAR POWER - RISKY AND COSTLY

In 1973, the Philippines was affected by oil crisis and they considered building a nuclear power plant at Napot Point, Morong, Bataan in 1980s but it never operated because of its risks and being expensive. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using nuclear power:

Nuclear power plants require lots of water for cooling, and must be built on the coast. But what makes them appealing over their more sustainable counterparts like wind farms is that they don’t require a lot of space.

A nuclear power plant is not burning fossil fuels like a coal power plant, they do not cause global warming, pollution, etc. There is also no adverse effects on the water, land or the surrounding areas under the normal daily operations of a nuclear power plant. It does not pollute the atmosphere with any smoke particles or heavy toxins. It improves the quality of life of the people and the communities in the surrounding area, compared to traditional coal power plants. People can breathe fresh air.

Only a small amount of fuel is required to produce a massive amount of energy by using nuclear power plants. This reduces the transportation costs of the raw material, etc., however it should be noted that because the fuel source is radioactive, the transportation done is expensive from all the security implications. The recent advances in technology made nuclear energy a very attainable option. This is one of the main reasons why many countries are making large investments in nuclear power plants.

Nuclear power is very reliable, and does not depend on the weather, or traditional sources of energy like the sun. Because of this, a nuclear plant can efficiently create electricity 24/7.

Compared to other types of power generation, nuclear power plants generate electricity for almost 90% of the hours within a year. This reduces a huge amount of price volatility that we see in other forms of energy like oil and natural gas. It produces only a small amount of waste, although this waste is radioactive.

Finally, the industry in itself is important, as it plays a central part in job creation and economic growth for the workers in the local communities. Due to the long term planning required to keep a nuclear power plant running, they employ many staff for a long period of time. In addition the revenue and taxes generated by the plant benefits the local infrastructure, helping communities build schools, roads and medical facilities.

Despite all of the advantages of the safety systems of nuclear power plant, it also has disadvantages. Facing an unexpected event or managing a nuclear accident we don't have any guarantee that decisions we took are always the best.

One of the main disadvantages is the difficulty in the management of nuclear waste. After the uranium splits to generate heat, the resulting byproducts are radioactive, which means they need to be removed in a safe way. Even though power plants have undergone recycling efforts of this waste product in recent years, storing the byproduct can lead to contamination through various containment failures. It takes many years to eliminate its radioactivity and risks.

The constructed nuclear reactors have an expiration date. Then, they've to be dismantled, so that main countries producing nuclear energy could maintain a regular number of operating reactors. They've to built about 80 new nuclear reactors during the next ten years.

Nuclear plants have a limited life. The investment for the construction of a nuclear plant is very high and must be recovered as soon as possible, so it raises the cost of electricity generated. In other words, the energy generated is cheap compared to the cost of fuel, but the recovery of its construction is much more expensive.

Nuclear power plants are objectives of terrorist organizations.

Nuclear power plants generate external dependence because there are only few countries which have uranium mines and not all the countries have nuclear technology, so they have to hire both things overseas.

Current nuclear reactors work by fission nuclear reactions. These chain reactions is generated in case control systems fail, generating continuous reactions causing a radioactive explosion that would be virtually impossible to contain.

Probably the most alarming disadvantage is the use of the nuclear power in the military industry. The first use of nuclear power was the creation of two nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan during World War II. This was the first and the last time that nuclear power was used in a military attack. Even though more than five decades have passed since, many children are still born with physical and neurological defects. The nuclear effect is often mentioned as a primary cause. The sad news is that we still have no remedy for these cases. Later, several countries signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but the risk that nuclear weapons could be used in the future will always exist.

References:

• Bennett, Travis. (2014, May 23). Advantages of Nuclear Power. Retrieved from https://blog.udemy.com/advantages-of-nuclear-power/

• Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Power. (2014, October 15). Retrieved from https://nuclear-energy.net/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-nuclear-energy.html

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BIRD FLU OUTBREAK

Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol confirmed a bird flu outbreak last August 11, 2017 from a poultry farm in Brgy. San Agustin, San Luis, Pampanga. Sec. Piñol said that the outbreak of Avian Influenza Type A subtype H5 happened in a quail farm before spreading to poultry farms.

"There were indications of the disease as early as April. The first report outbreak is in a quail farm, where there are ducks underneath. The ducks were the likely carriers of the Avian Flu Virus since they have contact with migratory birds," Sec. Piñol said.

"Then it spread to poultry farms, where around 37, 000 heads have died," Sec. Piñol noted.

Sec. Piñol then issued an order to quarantine the affected areas, including the culling of all poultry and related birds within a one-kilometer radius. He also estimated about 400, 000 birds within the quarantine zone will be cullied to stop the disease from spreading to nearby poultry farms.

"There were also many fighting cocks in the area. Bit we really have to do it, because we don't want the disease to spread," he said.

On the other hand, Arlene Vytiaco, head of the Bureau of Animal Industry - Disease Control Section of Animal Health and Welfare Division, said that some 200, 000 chickens from six affected farms and two other poultry houses within the 1-km-radius of the quarantine areawill be slaughtered. She said that the culling and depopulation process is hoped to be accomplished in three to four days through carbon dioxide suffocation. She also said that the virus cannot be contracted by eating cooked chicken and that all eggs and fowl meat supply in the markets are clean and safe.

Citing information from the Department of Health (DOH), she said that there is no report yet of humans infected by the virus. But after a few days, two poultry farm workers were said to be affected by the virus because they were manifested flu-like symptoms. The DOH immediately conducted tests to the two poultry farm workers and later on they were isolated.

After conducting tests to the farm workers, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said that the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) released the results of the tests on two workers.

"Negative for bird flu," said Health Sec. Paulyn Ubial.

According to DOH, those who are involved in culling operations were also given prophylaxis as a preventive measure.

"The prophylaxis has two uses - as a prevention if you are exposed to the virus and as a treatment if you have symptoms," said DOH Sec. Tayag.

Sec. Tayag then explained that bird flu virus in San Luis, Pampanga is not airborne and human-to-human transmission is not possible.

"Only those who are exposed to the farms and fowls in San Luis are being monitored, and only these exposures can lead to a case of chicken-to-human transmission of bird flu," Sec. Tayag then added.

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THE SCIENCE BEHIND DREAMS Oneirology is the scientific study of dreams. It is from a Greek word "oneiron" meaning dream. It is a term that was first coined in 1653 by Marquis d’Hervey de Saint Denys. Scientists within this field research to find correlations between dreams and knowledge about brain function. It doesn't study what we dream but it studies why we dream and at the same time, how we dream. It is different from dream analysis in that dreams are objectively study processes behind the dreams. Dreams are images created by our minds while we are asleep. It can occur anytime while we are sleeping but most of the time vivid dreams occur during deep, REM or Rapid Eye Movement sleep. It is the time when our brain is most active and resembles that of being awake. REM sleep is revealed by continuous movements of the eyes during sleep. At times, dreams may occur during other stages of sleep. Some experts say that we dream at least four to six times per night. There are two generic types of dreams. The Authentic Dream and the Illusory Dream. This field of studying dreams looks into the effects, mental and physical, of drugs via dreams. The way dreams of affected by drugs can show how intoxication can change things like hormones and neurotransmitters. The authentic is seen to be from the “realm of experience". A dream creating a familiar frame of reference, and reflects their life and world. The illusory contains the bizarre and even the impossible. This type can be related to delusions, such as ones exhibited in mental disorders. According to some researchers, dreams have no meaning or purpose and are non-sensical activities of the sleeping brain. Others say that dreams are necessary for mental, emotional, and physical health. There are also studies which shows the importance of dreams to our healthand well-being. Dreams helps incorporate memories and process emotions. There has been recent research that indicates that the parts of the brain most essential to the imagery involved in dreaming are the paralimbic, the limbic, and the other parts of the forebrain. The average time a person will sleep is approximately 2,688 hours a year. During that time, they can have over 1,825 dreams, of which only a few dreams are consciously remembered. In conclusion, Oneirology may be a form of study that will never be able to explain why you keep having certain dreams. But, it can tell you the consequences of too many or too few dreams as well as the result of too much or too little sleep.

(photo credit: http://addressiletisim.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/)

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Environment First Foundation

July 26, 2017

LET'S SAVE OUR ENVIRONMENT! RUN FOR MOTHER EARTH! TOGETHER, WE CAN STOP CLIMATE CHANGE!

"Run for Mother Earth" is a fun run sponsored by the Environment First Foundation on August 1, 2017 at Seaside blvd. This event is open for all who wants to join the fun run. It aims to raise awareness about climate change and encourage people to help save our environment. The Environment First Foundation sponsored this fun run because this is a part of their projects related to their main advocacy, "SAVE OUR MOTHER EARTH." Also, this foundation is supported by the local government. Participants of the fun run will be given waiver and free singlet. Winners will be given cash prizes. Also, all participants are encouraged to be volunteers for other environment-related events and drives for the next few months. James Broño, representative of Environment First Foundation said: "We are encouraging participants to be volunteers for our next projects to raise awareness about climate change. We want participants to help lessen the effects of climate change not to be one of those who causes climate change." Robert Julian, a mayor of Pasay City said: "We are glad to have a fun run to save our environment. We hope that this will be a successful and fruitful event." Notes to editors: • Photo Opportunity, August 1, 2017 at 8AM. The Environment First and the mayor of Pasay City, Robert Julian will host the opening of the fun run together with some other sponsors. • James Broño and Robert Julian will be available for interview after the fun run. Contact:  Working hours: Jess Glynn, press officer, 09194618877

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Heart Diseases - The leading cause of death in the Philippines

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death among Filipinos. According to Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), The World Factbook, "Almost five people die in every one thousand population in the Philippines." Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) show that as of 2010, more than a hundred thousand people die every year since 2009 because of heart diseases. The heart is a muscle where blood is pumped going to the lungs where it collects oxygen then it is pumped back to the heart and then to organs throughout the body through arteries. Coronary arteries exist on the surface of the heart and supply oxygen to the heart muscle. If these coronary arteries narrow, the suppy of oxygen-rich blood to the heart may be too low. At first, this reduction in blood flow may not produce any symptoms, but as fatty deposits or plaques build up in the coronary arteries, it may cause coronary heart disease. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) starts with injury or damage to the inner layer of coronary arteries. It causes fatty plaque deposits to build up at the site of the injury. It is consist of cholesterol and other cellular waste products and it is called atherosclerosis. Some signs and symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease includes chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, irregular heartbeat, etc. But not all people have chest pain as a symptom. Some may have signs and symptoms of indigestion or exercise intolerance. People with Coronary Heart Disease is initially diagnosed by physical examination and patient history. ECG or electrocardiogram test and other tests are conducted to image the arteries and heart muscle confirm the diagnosis. CHD cannot be cured, but with today's technology, it can be managed. Treatments depend upon its severity. It includes having a healthy lifestyle, exercising regularly, stopping smoking and controlling high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes may limit the arteries from narrowing. For some people, it may include some medical procedures and medications. Since Cardiovascular diseases (heart diseases) and Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or Stroke has the same risk factors, a patient who is diagnosed with one disease among the three has increased risk of having or developing the other diseases.

(photo credit: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax/)

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IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is no statistically significant difference between the impacts of climate change through the years. Figures show that there is no statistically significant difference between the assessment reports for 1.6°C of warming and also for the impacts of 2.5°C and 3.5°C of warming. It is found by Richard S. J. Tol, Department of Economics, University of Sussex, United Kingdom, that the technical summaries of the successive assessment reports do not consistently reflect the underlying information, and the Summary for Policy Makers (SPM) further distort what is known.The first four case studies show bias towards exaggerating the impacts of climate change. It is not always clear how the IPCC gather information and make statements which are not 100% credible. Authors might be tempted to compete for such attention by dramatizing their findings. Also, the IPCC has a natural monopoly on climate-knowledge-for-policy and that it should be strictly regulated to deliver quality for value.

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EUROPE'S DEFORESTATION CONTINUES AFTER PLEDGING TO HALT IT

According to a leaked draft European Union (EU) analysis, Europe's contribution to global deforestation continues to rise by more than a quarter by 2030, despite pledging to halt it. "The EU pledged to stop deforestation by 2020, not to increase it," said Sebastian Risso, spokesperson of Greenpeace. "Deforestation is a conveyor belt to devastating climate change and species loss that the world must stop, and fast." A draft EU feasibility study predicts that despite signing several international pledges to end deforestation by this decade's end, more than 5m hectares (ha) of extra forest land will be needed annually by 2030 to continue to sustain EU's demand for agricultural products. The deforestation rate increase from between 250,000-500,000 ha in 2015 to 340,000-590,000 ha in 2030. Europe is one of the countries that contributes to global deforestation. According to a study, Europe's continuous consumption of products such as beef, soil and palm oil increases contribution to deforestation. Currently, a deforestation action plan that could include binding legislation is under consideration by the European Commission.