Gilas Pilipinas PH Basketball Team Beats Latvians in Shocker

Justin Brownlee of Gilas Pilinas (Source: Rappler)

Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team shocked the Latvians on the road, pulling off a colossal 89-80 upset at the Arena Riga on Wednesday, July 3 to boost their chances of advancing to the knockout stage (See Rappler for story).

UP Concert Chorus Wins 4 Awards in Prague Festival

The University of the Philippines Concert Chorus (UPCC) bagged four awards in their debut at the Musica Orbis Prague Festival 2024 in Prague, Czech Republic from June 27 to July 1 (See GMA News for story). 

Filipina in San Francisco Pushed to Death on Train Platform

Corazon Dandan (Source: Instagram)

Corazon Dandan, 74, was killed after a suspect pushed her as BART train approached. She hit her head on the train and fekk on the platform. She was taken to the hospital and later died. Dandan was a telephone operator at the Marriott Hotel and was on her commute for the last 40 years. the suspect was arrested (See ABC7 News for story).

Sen. Leila de Lima Cleared of All Drug Charges

Senator Leila De Lima (Source: Rappler)

Leila de Lima, former senator and a Philippine opposition figure, has now been cleared of all the drug charges filed against her during the term of her nemesis, former president Rodrigo Duterte (See Rappler for story).

PH Is No. 4 Among Asian Countries With Most Beautiful Women

The Philippines clinched the No. 4 spot in the “20 Countries with the Most Beautiful Women in Asia” report released by the financial website Insider Monkey (See Inquirer.net for story).

Pia Wurtzbach Becomes Bulgari Global Brand Envoy

PIA Wurtzbach (Source: GMANews | Bulgari-Instagram)

Former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach has been named the latest global brand ambassador of high jewelry brand Bulgari, joining the ranks of Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, and Priyanka Chopra (See GMANews for story).

Fil-Am Chef Named Best California Chef By James Beard Awards

Chef Lord Maynard Llera (Source: Rappler)

California-based Filipino-American Chef Lord Maynard Llera bagged the Best Chef in the California region award for this year’s James Beard Foundation Award for Excellence held in Chicago (See Rappler for story). 

PH Named Global Leader in Budget Process Transparency

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman (Source: Inquirer.net)

The Philippines was named a global leader in budget transparency, oversight, and public participation in the budget process in Southeast Asia based on the recently published 2023 Open Budget Survey (OBS) results, making it the most fiscally transparent country in Asia (See Inquirer.net for story).