UnitedStatesLaunchesHearing TestCentersinBatangasCity

The United States Agency for International Development collaborated with the provincial government to establish a hearing test center to further aid childrenwithdisabilitiesinBatangascity,January13.

USAID Mission Director Ryan Washburn, together with Governor Herminaldo Mandanas, inaugurated a facility with an audiometer and hearing test devices donated by the US as part of their P112 million Gabay project

“This is a symbol of us being able to hear the needs of the people, and this could be a motivation for us being able to see the need to contribute to society,” said Governor Mandanas in his press statement "We should work together with sincere commitment in improving the welfare of these children and persons with disability," he added

This program aims to give help and access to better healthcare and education for children with special needs Gabay works with local authorities in the Batangas, Sorsogon, and Southern Leyte provinces to recognize students with vision and hearing problems

Through the Gabay project, the number of deaf and blind students enrolled from 2019 to 2022 has increased, strongly improving access to education for children with disabilities

"USAID is deeply committed to the inclusion of people with vision and hearing disabilities and those who advocate and offer services on behalf of people with disabilities," said the USAID Mission Director Ryan Washburn “The US government remains your enduring friend, partner, and ally as you charter a path toward inclusive and resilient growth for all Batangueños,” Washburn added

Bianca Baguinon from 9 - Modesty hoped that more projects like this would come because these can help children reach greater heights in life, especially in oneʼs health and well-being

ACrosstoBurden: The Red Roses oftheOrientPearl

Editorial

Its Purpose SEA-ING

Everycountryhasitsownpriority Itmaydependon the necessity, ability, and state And the truth is, having priority can lead to the destruction and weakness of other sectors if not managed and given time appropriately

Sheena Bernadette S Cadunggan SUNshine

orld War II, which happened from 1939-1945, was one of the most tragically devastating periods that occurred in the history of mankind Truth be told, the Pearl of the Orient Seas is a part of the war, thus, imparting a variety of casualties to the Filipinos, their lands, and their economy, one wherein the Japanese contributed to the sufferings that the people of the Philippines have experienced Now, it continues to haunt the citizens who have experienced the war, particularly the Philippinesʼ very own ʻcomfort women,ʼ also known as the Filipinas who experienced sexual slavery under the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II

WorldWarII,whichhappenedfrom1939-1945,wasoneofthemosttragicallydevastating periods that occurred in the history of mankind. Truth be told, the Pearl of the Orient Seas is part of the war, thus, imparting a variety of casualties to the Filipinos, their lands, and their economy, one wherein the Japanese contributed to the sufferings that the people of the Philippines experienced. Now, it continues to haunt the citizens who have experienced the war, particularly the Philippinesʼ very own ʻcomfort women,ʼ who experienced sexual slavery under the Japanese Imperial Army duringWorldWarII

The Philippines failed to offer restitution, social support, or acknowledgment for the harm suffered by people who were subjected to sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, according to the United Nations (UN) women's rights committee With the goal to administer justice to these former Filipino "comfort women," who consistently voiced their grievances, seeking the Philippine government to back the claims they made in opposition to Japan for reparations for their difficulties, a non-profit organization called "Malaya Lolas" was established in 1997 Given that the residents of the Philippines are closely tied to the dignity and respect that have even been remotely given and recognized, further indifference and absence of action by the government regarding this issue could ultimately cause moral and economic damage to the society of the Philippines

A lot happened when the Japanese entered and slayed the Philippine territory, further adding to the list of countries who had colonized the Philippines It was clear in history how much suffering and damage that has befallen the nation due to this, even if it only lasted for three years, which is much shorter than the period of colonization by the previous colonizers There was still a lot of slavery that happened because of this, wherein almost every man woman child and elderly person was forced to ʻbow downʼ and listen to the Japanese A still raising concern is the women who have experienced sexual abuse during that period Because of the Philippine Governments blindness to the call to help from the existing ʻcomfort womenʼ in todayʼs time, their ignorance belittles the experiences these women have faced, which allowed modern Japanese leaders to deny the war crimes they have committed Furthermore, these sexually-abused Filipinas served to be witnesses to the abuse that these Japanese leaders refused to take responsibility for Even if it all happened in history, one bodes well to take responsibility for their actions and act upon the given circumstances; turning a blind eye prevents one from doing so One of the worst scenarios of the experience is not experiencing comfort or support after a traumatic experience That is exactly what happened to these Filipinas No support was given to these ʻcomfort women' by the government of the Philippines, wherein they also refused to adhere to the sacrifices performed by these Filipinas Even until the death of Lola Lita Vinuya, a Filipino elderly woman who claimed she was among those sexually abused during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines and the president of ʻMalaya Lolas,ʼ the justice that these women have been longing and fighting for has not yet been served despite of all the years that have gone by to send out reparations to the people The abuse that these women faced caused them trauma, and their sufferings shouldnʼt have gone unnoticed Because of this, the government gave a sense of them condoning the sufferings experienced by the women These survivors, even until the end, are still left to fight and fend for themselves without proper acknowledgment of the traumas that they have experienced and are still experiencing today What supposedly should be supported for these women turned out to be supported sexual slavery

On a social level, not enough reparational support for this issue fails to implement appropriate measures to prohibit all prejudice against women and protect their rights on an equal basis with men Not only did the Philippine government take advantage of the experiences of these women but it also sends out a message that the sufferings faced by these women are minor inconveniences in comparison to the experiences that of the males This just gives the public more reason to support a patriarchal society for the government shows how small they regarded the experiences and traumas that these sexually-abused Filipinas have encountered

Women are constantly faced already with abuse in the streets due to cat-calling to the point that even what somebody wears in their bodies and faces are constantly pointed out, judged, or sexualized This has been to the point that no matter what age someone is, may it be a child or an elderly person, these women could experience blatant sexual abuse from everyone What happened to the women during Japanese colonialism is a blatant violation of their rights not only as women but also as a person This shows the narrowed vision of the government to the whole Philippines The loss of interest and action caused economic and moral damages to the nation And because the Philippine government is not acknowledging the pleas of justice from these women, it comes off as a reason to disrespect women even more which adds fuel to the fire of an ongoing violation of the rights of women until this day

With a new government in place in the Philippines, there are undoubtedly many ʻgreaterʼ issues that the government is now dealing with Even if a new Congress has been in place for a year, there is still much to be done to improve the situation, which is still somewhat difficult Nevertheless, the government's meager action has been a concern for years The "Malaya Lolas" portrays the unmistakable reality that no justice is achieved and that a continuous struggle is taking place

History records what actually unfolded in the past, and at that period, strong and influential women were formed Justice needs to be given to these women right away Now more than ever people around the world are fighting for equal treatment and fairness The voices of the women are loud, almost deafening, and Sheryl Sandberg pointed out that "We need women at all levels, including the top, to change the dynamic, reshape the conversation, to make sure women's voices are heard and heeded, not overlooked and ignored" These are not calls for rescue; rather, they are the voices of the unvoiced; which fall on deaf ears Their cries go unheard by the governing body, without much to expect, giving little value to the faced concern

Eversincethemaritimeindustryhashadabigthingto dowithdevelopment Indeed,ithasthesameimportanceas land - one of the Philippines' greatest projects This is a simple reason why it is a big yes to have PH Maritime Industry a top priority! Bringing and giving back the attention it deserves for balance and fruitful development in everyaspectthecountryneedstofocuson

The maritime industry is responsible for making transportation and transactions by sea happen It is like an alternative to air and land transportation, something people can add to their options, something they could enjoy more and work and make things happen more comfortably Yet the sad reality in the past years maritime hasnt been the main thing; it is being controlled and managed, but not totallymaintainednorupgraded

Given that the Philippines is a maritime nation I believeitistimeforustomakethemaritimeindustryagaina top priority,” the President said at the Philippine Maritime Industry Summit 2023 The Philippines is known for its marine beauty and the significance it brings to the lives of its peopleandthecountriesthatcountonit

This is a big gem that the country carries! A big shoot to prove and never disappoint! This is a big catch for a country that was once discriminated against and manipulated “While we already hold a dominant position in global shipping, I certainly believe that we can do more, especially here at home,” he added This is the perfect time to put everything in this perfect timing to show what and how the country learns and develops through the years It is a time to showthatitcandobetterwithitsresourcesandintelligence

The more the merrier the better! One of the advantages of the maritime industry is the service it can give Large volume shipments, high tonnage shipments, etc Services that the air and land cannot give Qualities that it can show and expectations that it can increase Today time is really fast! Every second minute and hour matters Time is Money! Time is Gold! The more it can ship, the more money it can make!Thebetter!

RandellU Alon

StoneFree

WithformerpresidentDuterte'scampaignafewyears ago, itsunsurprisingtoseedruguseandthedrugwar be sensitive topics in the Philippines today Extrajudicial killings certainly didnt rank high in morality, but they did do what it was set out to do ‒ diminish the use of drugs That alone doesnt make up for all the results; however, it left in its wake families of victims craving for justice more police brutality, and fear and trauma in the hearts of the people, particularly the impoverished Having all of this in mind, the anti-drug campaign sounds like it did more harm than it has donewell Nowthequestionis,whatelsecanwedo?

Though it may sound counterintuitive, legalization, of at least cannabis seems to be a viable solution This subject of cannabis has been around for a while now and has been steadily moving in the favor of many people How can this be when drug addiction has claimed and ruined many lives? We must take a directlookintothiscontroversytoknowtheanswerburieddeep Cannabis refers to flowering plants commonly used to create cannabis drugs like marijuana It contains many cannabinoids, chemicals found in the plant that cause drug-like effects in the body Still, the main component for the psychoactive impacts of the herb is a cannabinoid called Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC for short THC levels in cannabis have exponentially increased in recent years as it has been engineered to make its effects on the brainevenmoreintense Anothermajorcannabinoidithousesis Cannabidiol or CBD which works to balance the effects of THC actingasitsopposite

Despite being classified as Schedule I a drug with a very high potential for abuse it has been shown to cause fewer deaths than initially believed In fact, marijuana overdose has been reported to cause no deaths; the same can't be said for other marijuana-related deaths like smoking the drug, vehicular casualties etc ThedrughasalsobroughtMarijuanaUseDisorder tothetable withitsnamebeingself-explanatory

With everything prior in mind, why exactly would we want to stop cannabis from being illegal? The answer isn't as simple as saying because its good, far from that, in fact, so heres the basic gist There are many complex psychological disorders like insomnia in the world Though most of them have been cured, there are still many cases where patients have not recovered from their disorders despite trying all treatments Thats where our all-natural herb comes in Numerous people have said that cannabis intake has helped them with their anxiety and insomnia Thesebenefitscanaccountforthedrug'spsychoactive effects

In this modern world, maritime transportation is needed Today, comfort, easy work, and easy access are more important Things can be done fast yet surely and safely! It is just as easy as 1, 2, 3! That is the help that technology gives, technology that can be found in everything! Almost everythingisbeingcontrolledbymoderntechnology!Soifthe maritime industry is supported, technology is supported as well!

It opens many doors full of opportunities for everybody, evendreams!Anestimated380,000Filipinoseafarers,orovera quarter of all global merchant shipping crew members, are deployed on domestic or foreign-flagged shipping vessels It is obviousthatthisisalittlebitfewtosaybecausetherearestilla lot of Filipinos who are included in the unemployment rate; in prioritizing and waking the benefits of the maritime industry, these numbers can increase, many lives can improve, many dreams can be achieved, as well as the goals and aims of the country! The people need development, not just for the countrytheybelongto,butforthemselvesaswell!

Globalization is essential for connection! No man is an island! And of course no country can stay on its own land while fulfilling the needs of its people with its own power and strength! No one can be alone; no one survives without help! Right? Because the flaws and imperfections can be healed and completed through the power of friendship! Having it as a way of transportation for connections transactions and businesses strengthens the value and aim of globalization! To build a family relationship between countries to help and share the cultures traditions and beliefs of everybody while helping one another achieve that “fruitful success!”

It is not really easy to balance oneʼs attention! There will always be a side that will surely be focused on, and the other is obviously sacrificed! But that is what life teaches us! Everything is important! Every creation He has given us has its own contribution; all we need to do is take care, live it, and enjoy it! In order for a country to grow, every sector must be balanced! The strength and weaknesses must be classified to know where to focus more and where to relax! In reality, hidden things are more likely to give something that can lift and give sparkle to oneʼs dull times! Just like what the maritime industry givesus!Itisnotyetlatetogivetimeandefforttoit!

Open your eyes, SEA its purpose, dive deeper into the world full of dreamy waves, and make the Philippines a better, wiser, andstrongercountry!