Wake-uppers:
Scene:
Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol re-launched on Saturday the Bohol Fish
Market and TienDA at the APC Grounds in Barangay Dao in Tagbilaran City. Piñol
said it aimed to promote locally produce agri-fishery products, provide market
access and bring down the rising prices of basic commodities especially fish
products.
Scene: JP Maslog
posted on Facebook: The LGU-Panglao acted swiftly to address the illegal
structures at Virgin Island. After a coordinated meeting with the Coastal
Resource Management, the Municipal DILG and the concerned vendors, the latter
voluntarily agreed to remove/detach and demolish the structures at the famous
sand bar. Just this morning a team composed of the Coastal Resource Management
(CRM),Municipal Engineering, Municipal DILG,PNP-Panglao and Bohol Tourist Pulis
Unit inspected the area and was very satisfied with the quick action and
result.
Scene: Rima
Aumentado on the sudden death of Bohol’s tattoo and graffiti artist Dexter
Bustrillos: May your Soul Rest In Peace Sir. You are such a Good
Friend and a Humble Person, despite of all the Achievements and Success that
you have right now. We are not that close but you are so respectful magtagbo
bisag asa sa ICM or molabay ka diri sa balay ky silingan ra lage sad ta mo
smile gyud ka. You are a very family-oriented person, ky bisag unsa ka busy sa
Shop you still managed to find time with your family esp your girls
(daughters). You are very humble and down to earth kay sharing kayka sa
imo blessings esp sa imong natabangan na mga Tattoo Artists. Bootan kaayo.
Shocking Sad News but God has a purpose for everything. May you rest in peace
Sir Dex.
***
 |
| Schools have
issued warnings about the Momo challenge, after the grotesque doll with bulging eyes associated with the suicide game has been reportedly seen in the social media. Internet Photo |
Bedtime stories
are a beautiful part of our childhood memories. As kids, we have lived all
those amazing tales of courage, adventure, thrills and fun, but the ones which
remain etched in our memories are the “mumo” (ghost) stories and other scary
tales that our grandparents and parents told us.
The “mumo”
stories were not meant for very young children who could be frightened more than
they should be.
But earlier this
week, "Momo" was a top new trending search term on Google for
the US, Australia, Canada and the UK.
My friend Jessa
Ylanan, a former journalist, shared that her friends were alarmed when their
children were talking about “Momo” that someone had managed to scare their
children into hurting themselves.
Momo Challenge
is the latest viral concern /social media fad/urban legend going around
Facebook parenting groups and schools. Authorities described it as a
"suicide game".
The game, which
involves a terrifying doll with grotesque features, works by getting young
children and teenagers to message a specific phone number and then follow the
instructions texted to them.
The orders
become increasingly violent and dangerous, including instructions to threaten
others and self-harm. The children are threatened if they refuse to comply.
My assistant
Helen Castano shared that her neighbors in Lamdagan thanked that their kids are
not hooked on gadgets. They added In jest, ‘Maayo gani kay dili kasabot og
English among mga anak kay English man kaha ang instruction anang Momo.”
Whatever it is,
Ylanan said that the most terrifying aspect of the Momo Challenge is that
as much as parents are trying to protect their children from the
slightest danger, somehow, right under their noses, people are still able to
get to them.
National Online
Safety has released tips (later adapted by the PNP-Cybercrime Group) on how to
keep your child safe from the Momo challenge.
1. Tell them
it's not real. Just like any urban legend or horror story, the concept
can be quite frightening and distressing for young people. Whilst this may seem
obvious, it’s important for you to reiterate to your child that Momo is not a
real person and cannot directly harm them. Also, tell your child to not go
openly searching for this content online as it may only cause more distress.
2. Be present.
It’s important for you, as a parent or carer, to be present while your children
are online. This will give you a greater understanding of what they are doing
on their devices, as well as providing you with the opportunity to discuss,
support and stop certain activities that your child may be involved in. As the
nature of each task become progressively worse it’s also important to recognize
any changes in your child’s behavior.
3.Talk
regularly. As well as monitoring your child’s activity, it’s important for you
discuss it with them too.
Not only will
this give you an understanding of their online actions, but those honest and
frequent conversations will encourage your child to feel confident to discuss
issues and concerns they may have related to the online world.
4.Device
settings and parental controls. Ensure that you set up parental controls for
your devices at home. This will help to restrict the types of content that your
child can view, as well as help you to monitor their activity. In addition to
this, it’s vital that you are aware of your device and account settings to
ensure your child’s utmost safety. For example, on YouTube you can turn off
‘suggested auto-play’ on videos to stop your child from viewing content that
they have not directly selected.
5.Peer pressure.
Trends and viral challenges can be tempting for children to take part in; no matter
how dangerous or scary they seem. Make sure you talk to your child about how
they shouldn’t succumb to peer pressure and do anything they are not
comfortable with, online or offline. If they are unsure, encourage them to talk
to you or another trusted adult.
6.Real or
hoax. As a parent it is natural to feel worried about certain things
you see online that may be harmful to your child. However, not everything you
see online is true. Check the validity of the source and be mindful of what you
share as it may only cause more worry.
7.Report and
block. You can’t always rely on parental controls to block distressing or
harmful material. People find ways around a platform’s algorithm in order to
share and promote this type of material. Due to this, we advise that you flag
and report any material you deem to be inappropriate or harmful as soon as you
come across it. You should also block the account/content to prevent your child
from viewing it.
* * *
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