2023, The Year of The Bloodline?

01/17/2024 03:00:00 PM

Okay. It's been close to three weeks as I write this series of essays, but I can only wonder: why only now? I guess it's because I now have the time needed since the past month and these past couple of weeks had been too busy for me to collate and compile all those thoughts that ran into my head for 2023.  

It is safe to say that after three years, the world is really back to its normalcy. In TV lingo, we call it “back to regular programming.” For what its worth, 2023 didn't just had a roller coaster ride – there's also a see-saw and a swing. It was a carousel-like experience. I'm just glad I still manage to get back into writing because after all, who still reads blogs today – at the era when reels and vlogs became the name of the game in content creation?

Well, never say never, as resilient people would tell; so that being said, here is just one of the pieces that contain my sentiments on whatever issue or event I have experienced during 2023.

Newsletter: Moving with Purpose: The Top 10 Vitamins and Minerals Needed by Your Body

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USANA's Fibergy Active is a fiber-focused supplement that puts optimal gut health within reach.

Going from place to place and chasing one task after another, you might think that you’re already doing enough to keep your body moving and your health goals on track. But having an active lifestyle does not automatically equate to living a completely healthy life. It must be supplemented with the correct vitamins and minerals for our body to function at its best. Therefore, a thorough understanding of these components is necessary. For all efforts in building an active and healthy lifestyle will be in vain if we are not knowledgeable with what kinds of vitamins and minerals must go in our body and how they correspond to our daily needs.

Newsletter: Harame Bro Wins 2023 PUBG MOBILE National Championships Philippines

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Representatives from the seven Philippine PUBG MOBILE teams who would represent the country in international tournaments this year (Back Row, L-R: 214 Akira, Harame Bro, Exquisite Esports; First Row, L-R: ELV8 Esports, PlayBook Esports, Enigma, Dread Esports)

PUBG MOBILE Philippines has chosen its squads to compete against the best from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Singapore. Harame Bro emerged victorious in the PUBG MOBILE National Championships (PMNC) held last January 6-7, 2024 at the SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City. The team took home a lion’s share of the PHP 500,000 cash prize pool and were joined in the podium by 214 Akira, Exquisite Esports, Dread Esports, and ELV8 Esports. Together with top seeded teams Playbook Esports (PBE) and Enigma, these seven teams would represent the Philippines in this year’s international PUBG MOBILE Esports competitions. Attended by thousands of Filipino PUBG MOBILE fans, the event was supported by TECNO Mobile, one of the world’s leading smartphone brands.

Newsletter: GLOBALLY-RENOWNED SINGER-SONGWRITER NIKI KICKS OFF 2024 WITH INTROSPECTIVE NEW SINGLE “24”

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NIKI Photo by Yudo Kurita 

Today, Jakarta-born, LA-based singer-songwriter and producer NIKI kicks off 2024 with the release of her incredible, intimate new single “24,” out now via 88rising.  The song points towards a new sonic era for NIKI, combining all of the things that have made her an international favorite - brilliant lyrics and outstanding melodic sensibilities - with a musical palette that, for NIKI, sounds like home.  Indeed, it’s early in the year, but we can guarantee you that you won’t hear a more beautiful, ornately-crafted song about a quarter life crisis this year. 

Newsletter: Carousell Property Awards 2023 honors trailblazers in real estate

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(From left): SMDC vice president – project development Adelaida E. Cobres, senior assistant vice president - project development Lea B. Rabusa, and project development manager Emanuel N. Nave with Carousell PH general manager and country representative Shine Resurreccion, corporate sales lead Melizza Hernandez, and corporate sales Bernadette Pambuan

Carousell Property Awards is back once again to recognize the innovators and trailblazers in real estate who have shaped cities and communities for the better. Now on its third year, the annual recognition awards celebrate the extraordinary feats in the world of Philippine real estate.

Newsletter: Leah Halili releases introspective new track “Change”

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The Ransom Collective’s Leah Halili reflects on the difficulties of navigating the recent events in her life on her new single, “Change,” out on all digital music platforms worldwide this Saturday, January 13.

Newsletter: Acclaimed Japanese composer SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] links up with K-Pop boyband TOMORROW x TOGETHER for SOLO LEVELING opening song “LEveL”

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SACRA MUSIC has released a new single from esteemed composer HIROYUKI SAWANO’s vocal project SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] featuring global K-pop superstars TOMORROW X TOGETHER entitled “LEveL.”

Newsletter: PetPal's inaugural Vet Night Out: A milestone for veterinary collaboration, community building

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Petpal, leading pet care innovator in the Philippines, brought together 50 partner vets from around Metro Manila in its first ever Vet Night Out.

PetPal, a leading innovator in pet care in the Philippines, recently brought together nearly 50 veterinarians from various parts of Metro Manila at their inaugural Vet Night Out at the Mess Hall in Makati City. 

Newsletter: FILIPINO-AMERICAN HIP-HOP ARTIST MBNEL RELEASES “8 TO INFINITY” TO VISIT THE PHILIPPINES THIS JANUARY

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MBNel has embodied the hunger and hustle of Stockton, California's 8th Street, and shared it with the world. The second-generation Filipino-American artist with nearly 40 music videos on YouTube and over one million views has only broadened through his most courageous release to date, late 2023's 8 To Infinity. The Muddy Boyz/EMPIRE album expands on Nel's melodies, musicality, and vulnerability. Songs like "Tear Drops" and "Restart" show MBNel's star power and his resonance with new global audiences on a project that features artists such as Mozzy, Yung Bleu, and Millyz. "I've been experiencing different things, and I'm telling a different story musically. I feel that I'm going to a new place creatively," Nel admits. He is bringing 8th Street along for the ride. The album also features the focus track “Bag Chasin.”

Newsletter: PLDT Group expands mental health awareness to indigenous communities

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The Ayta women brainstorm for their presentation on a situational role-playing session as part of the Psychological First Aid training.

Pastor Benny Capuno, a tribal leader in Porac, Pampanga, knows all too well the great distress his Ayta community goes through when an earthquake strikes. In April 2019, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake devastated Porac, affecting hundreds and killing 10, five of whom were from the Ayta community. For Capuno, it reminded him and the community of the fragility of life, especially as when the same town was devastated by the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption.  It also reminded him of the mental well-being of those who survived.

Newsletter: FORMER KING & PRINCE MEMBERS SHO HIRANO, YUTA JINGUJI AND YUTA KISHI REUNITE AS NUMBER_I WITH NEW SINGLE “GOAT”

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Former members from powerhouse J-pop group, King & Prince, reunite to form a new sensational music group, Number_I. This dynamic trio composed of Sho Hirano, Yuta Jinguji, and Yuta Kishi, is all set to leave their mark on the music industry, and they're doing it in style under the renowned TOBE record label. 

Newsletter: Kaspersky suggests to add sorting your digital clutter to your New Year's resolutions

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This new year, you could have resolved to quit a vice, to learn something new, to manage your finances better and maybe check a couple off your bucket list of places to visit. Cybersecurity company Kaspersky suggests adding another practical and smart resolution to your 2024 list: to protect your precious data by clearing your digital clutter!

Newsletter: PLDT, Smart scale 45M reach for its #BetterToday mental health program

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Sangguniang Panlalawigan of La Union Board Member Joy Ortega shares the goals of the Psychological First Aid Program to encourage them to become first-aid volunteers who will help address the needs of distressed individuals. 

PLDT and Smart forge ahead in leveraging technology to promote sound mental health for all. In 2023, PLDT and Smart recorded a reach of over 45 million for its #BetterToday program, bridging the digital divide, as it creates safe, happy, and inclusive spaces.

Newsletter: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Esports unveils 2024 Roadmap, MSC to rebrand as Mid-Season Cup

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Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Esports has unveiled its 2024 roadmap, which includes the rebranding of MSC to the Mid Season Cup. First announced in the 2024 esports roadmap video, the Mid-Season Cup was rebranded in line with MOONTON Games' Esports for Everyone vision to promote diversity and inclusivity for more global athletes to have the opportunity to compete in one of the most-watched esports tournaments worldwide. The Mid Season Cup will be held outside Southeast Asia for the first time, with more participating regions, including China, and a larger prize pool. 

Newsletter: GCash further expands global remittance network with PERA HUB

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GCash continues to expand its global remittance network as it partners with Aboitiz retail network brand PERA HUB for cash-in transactions. The country’s leading fintech company has recently announced that PERA HUB partners will now be accessible via the GCash app.