MTRCB summons producers of ‘Eat Bulaga’, ‘Ryzza Mae Show’ for ‘violating child star’s dignity’

This has been an unpleasant week for TAPE, Inc., the producers of the daily noontime show “Eat Bulaga” and its 30-minute pre-program “The Ryzza Mae Show”.

Right on the heels of the sex video scandal involving two of its talents, comedian Wally Bayola and dancer Yosh Rivera, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board on Wednesday summoned the people behind the two shows to a mandatory conference on Friday “for scenes allegedly insensitive and unfriendly to children”.

The MTRCB took exception to a recent episode of each show for “palpably violating the dignity” of child star and host Ryzza Mae Dizon.

One of her adult co-hosts on “Eat Bulaga”, the agency said but did not identify the culprit, spat juice on Ryzza Mae’s face during the show’s July 29 episode.

And a guest on the August 4 episode of “The Ryzza Mae Show”, the MTRCB said and again did not identify the culprit, told her “Landing bata ka!”

“To which the latter replied by pleading that she was just a child, and asking the said guest not to be harsh on her,” the MTRCB added.

“The MTRCB hopes (for) the cooperation of all those concerned in finding out what caused those scenes, who are responsible thereof, and what immediate and concrete measures can be done so they do not happen again. In this connection, the MTRCB reiterates its serious and urgent concern for the welfare of children, who are most vulnerable in media and entertainment,” the agency concluded in a statement.

source: interaksyon.com

Good penmanship begins with the right tools

MANILA, Philippines - Selecting pencils that a beginner can easily grip and work with is more important than most parents think, according to Cristina Caraig, marketing manger of Amalgamated Specialties Corporation (Amspec), exclusive makers of T-Pencil and Crayola in the Philippines.

For many beginners, the T-Pencil with large-sized hexagonal barrels are ideal. Others find the Jumbo model with round barrel in black — the standard pencil for kinder students in the ’50s up to the ’60s — easier to work with. Still other pupils are more comfortable with the T-Pencil with triangular barrel. The same model works well for left-handed youngsters.

Each child has his own preference, point out studies by Amspec, which has been making pencils for 50 years. It used to manufacture other pencil brands until it decided to develop its own label.  “The key is to help a child experiment — beginning perhaps with the hexagonal models with larger barrels,” says Caraig.

She notes that the best time to prepare a child to write is as young as 18 months or old enough to grip a crayon. The best precursor to a good pencil is a good crayon — one that is easy for little hands to grasp and at the same time will not easily snap. More important, a crayon should be non-toxic to avoid harming youngsters who tend to put things in their mouth.

Crayola’s My First Crayons were designed especially for toddlers and meet all of the above requirements. They are also deliberately not labeled so that kids don’t have to struggle peeling them off after long hours of scribbling. Like all Crayola products, they meet the European Union’s consumer safety, health and environmental requirements. They are also registered with the Philippine Food and Drug Administration and have been deemed safe by the USA Arts and Crafts Materials Institute.

“Drawing and writing are complex tasks for growing children to master,” says Caraig. Both activities require grasping an implement, holding the paper so it stays in place, and applying just the required pressure. A crayon that glides easily on paper facilitates mastery of this skill. In lieu of a crayon, markers made intentionally for pudgy hands like Crayola’s stubby Pip-Squeaks help a child hone the skill. With the right coaching, scribbling metamorphoses to writing with a pencil.



Crayons and pencils that are easy for a toddler to use also build his confidence. “A two-or-three-year-old, says Caraig, “automatically attributes the efficiency of his writing implements to his own abilities — and vice versa. When a crayon does not register well on paper or when a pencil’s lead snaps easily, he automatically thinks it is because he has done a bad job.”

source: philstar.com

Video game to aid children to lose weight

A video game in development will encourage children to strengthen their action-hero characters by logging miles walked, U.S. researchers say.

Cynthia Carter Ching, J. Bruce German and Sara Schaefer, of University of California, Davis, and Marta Van Loan of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, teamed with Play4Change, a non-profit led by Ariel Hauter that develops serious games for social causes.

"Gamers project their identities into game play in various ways already, but we are particularly interested in what might happen if the avatar in a game is tied directly to the gamer's body and his or her actions outside the game," Ching said in a statement.

The game is scheduled to be in use by health educators in select Sacramento schools next spring for 11- to 14-year-old students for the initial development and testing.

The students will wear activity-monitor devices that measure such things as steps walked, floors climbed and calories burned. These data, along with diet logs and health and nutrition information they receive prior to play, inform the choices youth make and their rate of progress in their journey through the game, Ching said.

For example, a student who records more physical activity on a given day may find that their avatar is faster and stronger the next time they log in to the game and as a result, the student can see short-term positive rewards for their healthy actions -- such as not eating a dessert or walking after school -- long before they lose weight or change sizes, Ching said.

source: upi.com

Mind Your Manners

MANILA, Philippines — Children are the reflections of their parents. Having manners is the most obvious way to see if a child has been brought up well. We are not looking for the impeccability of medieval times, just the basic Ps and Qs will do. Appropriate behavior on our part is very important when it comes to parenting, because our children learn from us. We cannot control the environment our children are in, making them exposed to all sorts of outside influences.

I had my first child at 19 and in a way it was good for me because I learned more about being selfless and considerate of others as well. Of course I didn’t learn everything right away; not during my first three or four children even. By the time I did, I was probably in my mid-20s already. Prior to that, I had quite a short temper and always wanted things to go my way. I saw it as a sign of self-improvement when I started feeling embarrassed for my kids when I would react impulsively in certain situations. I actually felt most proud when I would catch myself and say in my head: “Oops! These children are watching your every move and they idolize no one other than their parents!” That was the best and easiest way for me to make a quick turnaround and deal with the situation calmly BUT firmly. I wanted my children to learn the need for them to assert themselves, but in the most civil way possible.

When I was young, I was kind of spoiled. I wouldn’t answer back to my folks, but I remember stomping off and walking out when I didn’t get my way. Horrible! My parents were very strict with us, but they never curbed that attitude of mine, and although I can’t say I don’t blame them, that didn’t stop me from wanting to see a change in myself. I saw how difficult it was for me to get out of that type of behavior. That is why I often remind my children of how difficult it is to change as we get older. It’s even harder if you don’t realize it, or are in denial, because recognizing the problem is the first step to finding a solution.

Just like having good communication, instilling good manners cannot be learnt overnight. Appropriate behavior is learnt at certain life stages. These days, we notice that in our society even adults show very little respect and manners than in previous generations. Media has a lot to do with this, because it has a social responsibility. This is where good parenting comes in. We give children the foundation in order to discern right from wrong, so that they turn into responsible adults. A child must be consistently guided—mostly by the parents’ example—when being taught correct manners. We cannot just tell our children to do what we say because we say so; we need to explain to them, as we go along, why we make such judgments. We need to explain to them the end result, the reward we ultimately receive when we choose to do what is right. We also show them the value of making the right choices by praising them when they do well. The same happens when they readily admit to having made a wrong decision. We must also praise them for this because every mistake admitted is a lesson well learnt. Implementing rules—not just having them—is so important and should be equal for everyone, or else mutual respect will be lost. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the way parents act around their children. Here are the most basic of rules to guide our children so they grow with the right manners.

1. Everything begins with respect

No matter how much you feel like screaming at your children because you are overwhelmed, always remember to not let out words which you will later regret saying. Talk to your children with the kindest tone and they will naturally speak this way to others as well.

2. The value of sharing

Make it a habit to be generous with your children in even the slightest way, so they also automatically share their blessings with others.

3. Give compliments easily

Be generous in complimenting your children whenever they show the slightest act of kindness so they will want to hear your praises even more. Avoid criticizing them, especially in public, as they will lose self-respect.

4. The importance of being polite

Let your children form the habit of saying “please” and “thank you.” This is the most important way to bring up children so they do not feel entitled.

5. Know when to apologize

Make sure your children know that an apology is not an automatic offense eliminator. On the other hand, teaching them to own up while they are still young makes them learn the value of taking responsibility for their actions. Apologizing to your children when you have wronged them shows you respect them.

6. Patience is a virtue

Reacting on impulse shows a lack of self-control. Being patient helps build character.

As my children grow, I am still in awe when I see them making decisions on their own. These are the times I can tell myself that I have done a pretty good job in raising them.

Find out more about life stages at www.theonecore.com and support www.francismagalonafoundation.com for a better future for the Filipino youth.

source: mb.com.ph