ADMISSION TO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES IS NOW FREE

The National Museum of the Philippines has announced that the admission fee to the museum is now permanently free starting tomorrow, July 1. This was done since they observed a spike in visitor count, especially of younger visitors when entrance fee is free. They hope to attract more visitors to the museum.

Here is the announcement in their official Facebook page :

The admission fee has been free for the past couple of months. I myself visited the museum last month with my sister since the last time I visited was when I was still in grade school - more than 20 years ago. It was really nice to see the history of the country in works of arts and other artifacts.

2016 FIVB VOLLEYBALL WOMEN'S CLUB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP : GONZAGA AND DAQUIZ NAMED TO THE PSL ALL START TEAM

The first 2 local player members of the PSL All Star team has been named during the gap between the 2 games today of the Philippine Super Liga.

No less than PSL president Tats Suzara announced the first 2 names that qualified for the PSL All Star Team.

The first name that was called was 2015 SEA Games volleyball team captain Jovelyn Gonzaga of RC Cola - Army. She is definitely a great addition to the team due to her great attacking skills and her ample experience in international competition.

The second name called was Rachel Ann Daquiz, also of RC Cola - Army team. Daquiz is quite versatile in defense and offense and was also part of the 2015 SEA Games national team.

Here is a picture of the 2 volleybelles with their golden tickets as posted in the official Twitter account of Sports5 :

Congratulations Daquis and Gonzaga! You will now represent PH in the FIVB Women's Club World Championship in Manila! pic.twitter.com/ugRSBAsSRw

— Sports5 (@Sports5PH) June 30, 2016

The other 5 names will be named in the comping playing days of PSL until the 7 local players are complete. Exposure to international level games like this will definitely be a boost to local volleyball.

Congratulations to both Gonzaga and Daquiz! Make the Philippines proud!

VIRAL PHOTO : FIRST FAMILY PHOTO OF THE DUTERTE FAMILY IN MALACANANG

The new president's eldest son, Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte posted the Duterte family's first family photo inside the Malacanang Palace in his official Facebook page :

As of the writing, the post already has 56 thousand reactions and has been shared 11 thousand times just a few hours after it was posted.

PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE AND VICE PRESIDENT LENI ROBREDO FORMALLY TAKES THEIR OATH AS THE PHILIPPINES' TOP OFFICIALS

President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo separately took their oath today as the Philippines' top officials.

It was Robredo who took the oath first in her new office in New Manila, Quezon City. She was with her daughters during the ceremony and it was her youngest daughter who was holding the bible. Here is the video as posted in the official Twitter page of Rappler :

WATCH: Vice President @lenirobredo takes her oath of office https://t.co/pg3Bzd758T https://t.co/oFMOZjD8L4

— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) June 30, 2016

At noon, it was Duterte's turn to take his oath in Malacanang Palace. He was with his children - Paolo, Sara, Sebastian and Veronica, who was holding the bible during the ceremony. Here is the video posted in the official Twitter page of CNN Philippines :

WATCH: Rodrigo Duterte takes his oath as the 16th President of the Philippines https://t.co/fVeySxmTj9 https://t.co/m0nBQ0kDiD

— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) June 30, 2016

Hope this will be a good start to their terms as our leaders. We are all hoping that indeed, change is coming.

BASKETBALL : KOBE PARAS WITHDRAWS FROM JOINING UCLA

UCLA announced that Filipino cager Kobe Paras has withdrawn from joining the team after some academic requirements of his admission was not met.

Here is the official statement from UCLA as posted in TJ Manotoc's Twitter page :

Official statement given to @ABSCBNNews from UCLA Athletics Communications pic.twitter.com/GnuqjuXEn5

— TJ Manotoc (@tjmanotoc) June 29, 2016

I really hope that Kobe will still be able to play college basketball in the US and eventually join Gilas Pilipinas in the future. Having athletes train in US or Europe will definitely help us in conquering the world arena in basketball.

PINOY BIG BROTHER : PBB LUCKY 7 WILL PREMIERE IN JULY

The seventh season of the hit reality show Pinoy Big Brother is revealed to premiere in July. Now dubbed as Pinoy Big Brother Lucky 7, the premiere date was revealed during a commercial gap during the Primetime Bida show Ang Probinsyano.

The show will still be hosted by the trio of Toni Gonzaga - Soriano, Bianca Gonzales - Intal and Mariel Rodriguez - Padilla witrh Robi Domingo coming back as well for the new season.

The auditions ended last Sunday, both the on ground and online auditions.

Here are excerpts from the video shown tonight as posted in PBB's official Twitter account :

We're sooooo back!!! Kita-kits this July #PBBSeason7 pic.twitter.com/9HHeQRGd0N

— Pinoy Big Brother (@PBBabscbn) June 29, 2016

The gang is back!!! @PBBToniG @iamsuperbianca @marieltpadilla @robertmarion #PBBSeason7 pic.twitter.com/w5ezqrJq6o

— Pinoy Big Brother (@PBBabscbn) June 29, 2016

Here is the longer version uploaded in PBB's official Facebook page :

2016 FIVB VOLLEYBALL WOMEN'S CLUB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP : 8 PARTICIPATING TEAMS NAMED

The 8 teams that will participate in the 2016 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship has all been named after the last wildcard team was awarded the wildcard ticket.

The competition is slated to be held on October 18 - 23 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. This will be the first time that the Philippines will host the said tournament, and with the country hosting, we were allotted one slot in the competition.

Our team will be composed of 7 imports and 7 local players - which will be from the pool of the invited players currently participating in the Pilipinas Super Liga. The names of the seven local players that will be included will be revealed starting tomorrow during the league's game.

The other teams participating are (posts from the facebook pages of PVR : Philippine Volleyball Republic, and FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship)

1. 2016 European Champions - Pomi Casalmaggiore of Italy

2. 2015 Asian Champions - Bangkok Glass of Thailand

3. 2016 South American champions - Rexona Ades Rio of Brazil

4.  Wildcard - 2015 Champions Eczacıbaşı VitrA Voleybol of Turkey

5. Wildcard - Volero Zurich of Switzerland

6. Wildcard - VakıfBank Spor Kulübü of Turkey

7. Wildcard - Hisamitsu Springs of Japan

8. Hosts - PSL Team (7 locals and 7 imports)

The tournament will be a sure treat to all Filipino volleyball fans. It has been about 16 years since we last hosted a major FIVB tournament and it is about time since the sports is definitely getting a huge boost in popularity.

BASKETBALL : KOBE BRYANT THANKS FILIPINOS AFTER HIS VISIT HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES

Nike Philippines posted in its official YouTube channel the thank you video of Kobe Bryant after the cager's 2 day visit here in the Philippines :

This was his first visit to the country after his retirement from basketball. Kobe is definitely very appreciative of how the Filipinos has welcomed him every time he visits here.

Mamba out.

PINOY BIG BROTHER : NEW LOGO REVEALED FOR SEASON 7

The new logo for the seventh season of reality show Pinoy Big Brother has been revealed in a new post in its official Twitter page :

A brand new look for a brand new season! 😎 #PBBSeason7 pic.twitter.com/2nOsZQzQMK

— Pinoy Big Brother (@PBBabscbn) June 27, 2016

The new logo is more sophisticated as compared to the previous logo. The yellow color on the word "PINOY" and the house emphasizes that this is a show about a Filipino house and the yellow really pops out on the dark blue background. I also like the red circles on the holes of the "g" and "o". But the black and white eye is quite Caucasian looking.

GILAS PILIPINAS : THE BEST CLIPS FROM THE NIC EARNSHOW

During Gilas Pilipinas' training camp in Europe, Sports 5 crew has been following them doing stories for the show Kwentong Gilas. But another show has been seen in Facebook that is covering behind the scene stories of the camp - The Nic EarnSHOW.

The Nic EarnSHOW is hosted by Nic Earnshow, a Sports5 producer that is part of the team behind Kuwenting Gilas.It is not an actual show but it provides a lighter look to the team's training camp, contrary to the serious tone that Kwentong Gilas has.

If you have not seen the show, here are some of the best videos of the Nic EarnSHOW posted in Maki Macabagdal's Facebook page :

Looking forward to more episodes of The Nic EarnSHOW in the next Gilas camps!

GILAS PILIPINAS : LA TENORIO SHOWS HIS HEART ON ITALIAN COURT

Gilas Pilipinas veteran LA Tenorio showed his heart on the Italian basketball court - that is, his fatherly heart.

During their tune up game against Italy yesterday in a pocket tournament being held in Bologna, there was a 6 year old girl who mopped the wet floor during a break in play. The girl can be seen having difficulty in doing the job. Without hesitation, LA Tenorio helped the little girl, got the mop and was the one who actually mopped the floor.

This can be seen in these photos posted on Mary Ann dela Cruz's Twitter page :

@carlo_pamintuan Bait ni @LA_Tenorio #pusongAma pic.twitter.com/CGlx70CoOW

— Mary Ann Dela Cruz (@MeAnneCaravita) June 25, 2016

@carlo_pamintuan @LA_Tenorio Sure po😊 eto pa po isa pic.twitter.com/J8RJfiSKva

— Mary Ann Dela Cruz (@MeAnneCaravita) June 25, 2016

Thank you LA for showing the heart of the Filipino - always willing to help and serve the country!

Mabuhay ka LA Tenorio!

GILAS PILIPINAS : FINAL "FIGHTING 12" FOR THE FIBA OQT ANNOUNCED

The final "Fighting 12" of Gilas Pilipinas that will represent the country in the FIBA Olympic Qualifier in Manila was announced live tonight. The team was seen live from Italy where the team is participating in the pocket tournament as a build up for the FIBA OQT.

The announcement was made before the team's game against China for the tournament's 3rd place after both teams suffered losses in their first games against Italy and Canada.

The final 12 players that will carry the Pilipinas jersey as part of Gilas 4.0 are as follows (as announced by Jimmy Alapag during the live telecast of Sports 5) :

• Andray Blatche
• Jayson Castro
• June Mar Fajardo
• Gabe Norwood
• Japhet Aguilar
• Ranidel de Ocampo
• Terrence Romeo
• Marc Pingris
• Jeff Chan
• Bobby Ray Parks, Jr.
• Ryan Reyes
• Troy Rosario

Here are the final 12 players as posted in the TV5 official Twitter page :

#Gilas12 IS IN! 🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/p8lOMrpFIJ

— TV5 (@TV5manila) June 26, 2016

The last 2 players cut from the line up are LA Tenorio and Calvin Abueva, Salute to all these guys, whether they are in or out, for sacrificing for the country.

Hoping that these 12 guys will take us to our goal - which is the slot in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Laban Pilipinas! 

ASIA'S GOT TALENT : GERPHIL FLORES GRADUATES CUM LAUDE FROM UP DILIMAN

Asia's Got Talent Season 1 Finalist Gerphil Geraldine Flores graduated cum laude from the country's premiere university, the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. Classical singer Flores earned the degree of Bachelor of Music and a Diploma on Creative Performing Musical Arts from the university's College of Music.

Flores was judge David Foster's golden buzzer act and placed third in the show's finale.

These posts can be seen from Flores' Instagram account :

Lord, thank you! I can finally harvest what I've planted since 2010. In a span of 6 years, I am overjoyed to announce that I finished two degrees (Diploma in Creative Performing Musical Arts & Bachelor of Music- Cum Laude) at The College of Music, University of the Philippines Diliman. Although it wasn't always a smooth ride, I am truly blessed with all the experiences I had as an undergraduate student including my Asia's Got Talent stint as I not only represented my country but also my beloved university. Of course, none of these beautiful experiences would have happened without the undying love and support of my family, mentors and friends. Mom, thank you for everything. People often say you're too protective because they always see you with me and sometimes, they see your "mataray" side but what they don't know is that you are just protecting me. Dad, selbst wenn du in Hamburg bist, bin ich für die Inspiration noch dankbar. To my mentors, thank you for unselfishly sharing your knowledge in music and for honing my craft. This triumph is not mine but yours! #UniversityOfThePhilippines #GerphilFlores

A photo posted by Gerphil-Geraldine Flores (@gerphil_geraldineflores) on Jun 24, 2016 at 12:07am PDT

I attended our university graduation ceremony today at UP Diliman. Sitting under the heat of the sun for almost two hours was worth it, because towards the end of the program, we all experienced the switching of the UP Sablay from the right shoulder to the left shoulder. This is similar to the moving of the tassel of the academic cap which means you are officially an alumnus of the university! Congrats to all the graduates!!! Maraming salamat UP!!! 🎓🎓🎓#ThankYouLord

A photo posted by Gerphil-Geraldine Flores (@gerphil_geraldineflores) on Jun 25, 2016 at 10:32pm PDT

Congratulations Gerphil!

AMAZING RACE ASIA : ON GROUND AUDITION IN ALABANG TOWN CENTER

To all Filipino team who are interested to join the 5th season of The Amazing Race Asia, on ground auditions are being held today and tomorrow at the Alabang Town Center!

Here is the tweet from the official Twitter account of AXN Philippines :

#AXNTARA On-ground auditions are about to open at 10.00 am We'll be here until 6.00 pm today. Same sched tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/IfedFPMH0k

— AXNPH (@AXNPH) June 25, 2016 

NESCAFE PHILIPPINES COLLABORATES WITH YOUTUBER ALEX WASSABI TO PROMOTE NESCAFE BERRY MOCHA AND CHOCO MOCHA VARIANTS

Nescafe Philippines did a collaboration video with YouTube artist Alex Wassabi to promote its new variants, Berry Mocha and Choco Mocha. This video was done when Alex was here in the country for the YouTube Fan Fest Manila (as shown in his previous vlogs). Alex is half Filipino since his mother is Filipina. Also in the video is his brother Ron and friend Kyle.

Here is the video as posted today in the Alex Wassabi YouTube channel :

GILAS PILIPINAS : FINAL 12 TO BE REVEALED ON JUNE 26

In this post in the Facebook page of Sports5, the final 12 who will make it to the roster for the FIBA Olympic Qualifier will be revealed live on June 26 at 6pm!

As of now, the team is in (or is still travelling to) Italy for a pocket tournament as part of the preparation for the OQT. There is still 14 players in the pool and the last 2 players will be cut by Saturday. Who ever makes it, Gilas 4.0 will definitely be a good team and will give the other teams a run for that slot for the Rio Olympics.

HELP BASTI ARTADI RAISE FUNDS FOR HIS OPERATION

In a post in his official Facebook page, Pinoy 90's rockband Wolfgang frontman Basti Artabi revealed that he has nerve tumor and needs help in raising funds for a much needed operation so he can continue to speak and sing. Here is his post :

If you are interested to buy, here is the link to the Jeepney Rock Stop (Philippines) Facebook page link for the shirt design and size guide :

The shirt costs PhP500 each and the CD costs PhP350 each. They can ship nationwide or meet up around Mandaluyong area (Boni Circle, SM Megamall and Robinsons Pioneer). You can PM them in the Facebook page since the mobile number provided is currently down as of the writing.

TEAM PILIPINAS : WEIGHTLIFTER NESTOR COLONIA QUALIFIES TO THE 2016 RIO OLYMPICS

Weightlifter Nestor Colonia just qualified to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. He now joins fellow lifter and now 3 time Olympian Hidilyn Diaz in the competition.

In a letter from the International Weightlifting Federation to the Philippine Olympic Committee, the international weightlifting body confirmed the slot awarded to Colonia, who will compete in the men's 56kg division.

Colonia had an impressive showing during the world championship in Texas by getting the bronze in clean & jerk but wound up 4th in the snatch. He duplicated the same feat in the 2016 Asian Championship in Uzbekistan last April.

Colonia and Diaz are now in training in China as a build up for their campaign in Rio.

With this qualification, Filipino athlete count in the Olympics is now at 8 - with 2 boxers, 2 lifters, 2 in athletics, 1 in table tennis and 1 taekwondo jin. Others expected to join the group are athletes from golf and swimming. The basketball team will be in a qualifying tournament next month.

Good luck in the Olympics Nestor Colonia!

Image is from an article from Pilipino Sta Ngayon website

NBA FINALS : CLEAVELAND CAVALIERS WINS!

A well deserved championship - making history by being the first team to come from a 1-3 deficit and win the NBA title. Congrats Cleaveland Cavaliers!

We did it, Cleveland. #NBAChampions | #OneForTheLand pic.twitter.com/7Hndm6YaB1

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) June 20, 2016

Congrats as well to the runner up Golden State Warriors for also having a historic run this season.

NEW GILAS PROMO VIDEO FOR THE FIBA OQT

Sports 5 posted on the Kuwentong Gilas Facebook page a new promo video of the Gilas Pilipinas national team for the FIBA Olympic Qualifier. The short video shows all 14 players in the pool and was shot while they are in Greece for the training camp.

Here is the video :

It was really nice to see Andray Blatche there in the mix saying he will fight for the Philippines!

I can't wait to know who will make the final 12 and watch these guys on July 5 here in Manila!

BASKETBALL : KOBE BRYANT WILL BE BACK IN MANILA

Basketball great Kobe Bryant will be back in Manila next week. As posted in the Nike Basketball official Facebook page, the former Los Angeles Lakers guard will be here on June 24 - 25 :

This will be his first visit to the Philippines after his retirement from professional basketball. On his second day here, he will hold the Kobe Academy at the Araneta Coliseum where lucky guests will be trained and coached by Kobe himself.

If you are interested to apply, you can apply in the Nike website - click here.

DISNEYLAND SHANGHAI IS NOW OPEN

The biggest Disneyland theme park just opened in Shanghai, China last June 16, 2016. Having built for 5 years after the 2011 ground breaking, the theme park si huge, covering approximately 4 square kilometers.

The opening was shown live in Disney's Facebook page. Here is the video of how the park was made and how it was uniquely made to cater to the Chinese audience from Disney's official YouTube channel :

The park is divided into 6 lands - Mickey Avenue, Gardens of Imagination, Fantasyland, Treasure Cove, Adventure Isle and Tomorrowland. Ticket prices is reportedly at approximately CNY499 or approximately USD75.

KWENTONG GILAS : CALVIN ABUEVA FEATURE ON JUNE 19

Kuwentong Gilas will feature The Beast Calvin Abueva in its episode on Sunday, June 19. Here is a preview of the episode as posted in Kuwentong Gilas Facebook page :

Kuwentong Gilas airs every Sunday at 3pm in TV 5.

TEAM PHILIPPINES : MARY JOY TABAL IS REINSTATED AS A NATIONAL TEAM MEMBER BY PATAFA

Marathoner Mary Joy Tabal is now reinstated as a national team member for track and field. In a letter posted in the Twitter account of PH Sports Live Scores , PATAFA sent already the letter to Tabal, which was signed by PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico.

Here is the tweet:

Here is the letter from PATAFA. @olminleyba first tweeted this photo. pic.twitter.com/rIKyfGgvn0

— PHSports LiveScores (@LiveScoresPH) June 14, 2016

This is the first step in her formal entry to the Rio Olympics. PATAFA will now endorse her since she already qualified by beating the qualifying time in a race in Canada.

See you in Rio Mary Joy and make us proud!

VIRAL VIDEO : TREX CRUSHES THE AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR OBSTACLE COURSE

The T-Rex had an appearance in the American Ninja Warrior and he definitely rocks and crushed the course - even if he got wet at one stage. This video really made my day. Who wouldn't smile at the sight of this beast with small arms trying to get pass the obstacles - especially the warped wall?

Here is the video - enjoy!

NEW LOGOS FOR PLDT AND SMART UNVEILED

Telecommunications giants PLDT and Smart unveiled their new logos in an event last night. Here are the new logos :

This is really a better logo for the 2 companies owned by Manny Pangilinan. First, there is a one aligned look for the 2 companies. The colors are beter as well, still differentiating both companies. This is a good move for the companies since it seems that it is in a phase of transition since this new look gives them that feel.

But wait, what about Talk N Text (subsidiary of Smart)? Will they change the logo as well?

FACEBOOK GREETS FILIPINO USERS HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH AN INVERTED PHILIPPINE FLAG

Facebook just declared war - by sending Happy Independence Day greetings to their Filipino users with an inverted Philippine flag!

The Philippine flag is the only flag in the world that has a different meaning when it is inverted. The Philippine flag has the blue part on top but when the red part is on top - it means the country is in a state of war, as what is shown above in this Facebook greeting.

Was this intentional - meaning during the time the independence was declared, the country was in war; or was this one of the biggest boo boo of Facebook Philippines?

Anyway, as always, Google has its home page blinged up as well as a jeepney to commemorate the independence day :

Anyways, Happy Independence Day to all Filipinos!

GILAS PILIPINAS : NEW SONG FOR THE GILAS PILIPINAS ROAD TO RIO RELEASED

The new song intended as the new theme song for the Road to Rio quest of Gilas Pilipinas, and the quest for medals for the Philippines at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games has been released by Sports 5 and Melmac Sports.

Entitled "Sabay Tayo", the song is a collaboration between husband and wife tandem Yael Yuzon of Spongecola and singer Karylle. The song also features the King of Rap Francis Magalona's son Frankie.

Here is the video from the Sports 5 Facebook page :

THE VOICE : SEASON 6 FINALIST CHRISTINA GRIMMIE SHOT DEAD AFTER CONCERT IN ORLANDO

The Voice Season 6 alumni Christina Grimmie was shot dead moments after her concert in Orlando, Florida. Grimmie, only 22 years old, performed with the band Before You Exit.

After the show, the band and the singer stayed to sign for autographs. The shooter apparently walked towards her and shot her. Grimmie's brother tackled the suspect but the suspect also shot himself. Grimmie was bought to the hospital at serious condition and eventually died.

Grimmie was a 4-chair turner in the talent show with her blind audition of Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus. She eventually joined Team Adam and worked with coach Adam Levine of Maroon 5. She made it up to end of the show, eventually placing third in the season finally, behind season 6 runner up Jake Worthington and winner Josh Kauffman.

Here is Grimmie's blind audition video :

Orlando police confirmed the incident with a series of tweets in their official Twitter account :

Performer Christina Grimmie was shot at concert @ Plaza Live. Grimmie's brother tackled shooter Shooter shot himself pic.twitter.com/URpjXlrOdE

— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 11, 2016

Christina Grimmie in critical condition after being shot after show at Plaza Live. Suspect shot and killed himself pic.twitter.com/3AZhxCenik

— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 11, 2016

With deep regret, we have confirmed Christina Grimmie, @TheRealGrimmie has died from her injuries.

— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 11, 2016

We pray for the soul of Christina Grimmie - such a loss to the music industry.

Image is from Christina Grimmie's website and video is from Tish Francine Murillo's YouTube channel

FOOTBALL : JUANI GUIRADO ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM FOOTBALL

In an instagram post this morning, Juan Luis Guirado announced that he will be playing his last game with his football club, Ceres La Salle FC today at the UFL Philippines. He also retired from international football with the Azkals earlier this year and played his last game during the World Cup qualifiers.

Here is his post this morning in his Instagram page (@juaniguirado) :

Today i play my last game for @ceresfootball, its been an honor to be part of this team for 2 years.its a quick decision but its for my family...i hope everybody understands.I am grateful for everything - my boss,my coach and staff, teammates, fans and @pumaph . Philippines will always be in my heart, i will never forget that i am true pinoy!! #ceres #retirement #foreverfaster #pumaph #azkals #family #pinoy

A photo posted by Juan Luis Guirado Aldeguer (@juaniguirado) on Jun 10, 2016 at 6:24pm PDT

All the best to Juani! Thank you for serving the flag and being part of the renaissance of football in the Philippines.

CHEMISTRY : FOUR NEW ELEMENTS NAMED

Here is an article by Emily Conover from the Science News website (image and text is from the said website) :

Four new elements now have names.

In December, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry officially recognized the discovery of elements 113, 115, 117 and 118, filling out the seventh row of the periodic table. As is traditional in chemistry, the naming rights go to the discoverers: Scientists at RIKEN in Wako, Japan, named element 113, and a Russian-U.S. collaboration named the others.

Element names have to follow certain rules — that means no Element McElementface. In line with convention, the proposed names for the four elements are derived from scientists’ names and geographical locations of research institutes. After a five-month public review period and approval by IUPAC, the names will become official.

Element 113 is dubbed “nihonium" and will sport the chemical symbol Nh. Its name comes from the Japanese word “Nihon,” or “Land of the Rising Sun,” a name for Japan.

Element 115 will receive the moniker “moscovium,” shortened to Mc, after the Moscow region, home to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, where the element was discovered in collaboration with researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.

Tennessee also gets a periodic table shout-out. The proposed name for element 117 is “tennessine,” after the home state of Oak Ridge, Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee. It will bear the symbol Ts.

Element 118 will be named oganesson, or Og, after Russian physicist Yuri Oganessian, who contributed to the discovery of several superheavy elements.

GILAS PILIPINAS : "TURIN 14" NAMED, TEAM OFF TO EUROPE FOR TRAINING

The Gilas Pilipinas line up was cut down to 14 players after the team won its Iran tune up game last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, 81-70.

After the game, coach Tab Baldwin said in the post game interview that the management will still discuss the final 14 members since the game made the coaching staff to rethink some of their choices.

I personally think that it was Ryan Reyes' performance that made an impression last night, considering that both perimeter shooters Jeff Chan and Marcio Lassiter are still recuperating from an injury or an illness.

A couple of hours after the press conference, it was team manager Butch Antonio who announced the final 14 players who remains in the Gilas Pilipinas pool. The 14 players are:

The 14 joining the Gilas camp: Jayson RDO Troy Ryan Gabe Jeff Junemar Ping Calvin Japeth LA RayRay Andray Terrence#LabanPilipinas #PUSO

— Butch Antonio (@BAAntonio) June 8, 2016

Gilas Final 14 #LabanPilipinas #Puso pic.twitter.com/VhrwZi8M8B

— FOX Sports PH (@FOXSports_PH) June 8, 2016

These players will go to a 3 week training camp in Europe - specifically in Germany and will join a pocket tournament in Turin, Italy. The final 12 is expected to be announced when they come back to the Philippines on June 28. They will have their last tune up game against Turkey on July1 before the start of the FIBA Olympic Qualifier on July 5.

VIRAL VIDEO : AMAZING AUDITION OF CLAIRVOYANTS IN AMERICA'S GOT TALENT

This video has been doing the rounds in social media last week after it aired in the show. This is an audition of The Clairvoyants in the talent search America's Got Talent.

In this act, Tommy and Amelie asks for the participation of judge Heidi Klum on stage, some audience members and even judge Howie Mandel in the end of the act.

This is definitely one of the best and mind boggling auditions I have ever seen. Here is the video as posted in the official YouTube channel of the show:

MOVIE TRAILER : NOW YOU SEE ME 2

I am really excited to watch this movie, Now You See Me 2 which is actually showing in Philippine cinemas this week (actually it started showing today). My sister and I really loved the first NYSM movie which we only watched because we liked the trailer.

Unfortunately, we will not be able to watch it tonight as originally planned since I will be watching the Gilas Pilipinas - Iran tune up game which is part of the team's preparation for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July. So we will be watching this tomorrow night.

So in lieu of watching the film, I am sharing the trailers of the movie and hope this will convince you to watch it as well!

GOLF : MIGUEL TABUENA QUALIFIES FOR THE 2016 US OPEN

The 2016 US Open will tee off next week and a Filipino will be joining the said event. Aside from Fil-Aussie Jason Day, young Filipino rising star Miguel Luis Tabuena qualified to play in his first Masters tournament - the 2016 US Open.

Tabuena, who was one of the top amateur golfers of the country before turning professional in 2011, qualified by topping the US Open sectional qualifiers in Daly City, California. Tabuena, who is currently no. 117 in the world rankings, scored 132 (68, 64) to have a 2 shot lead over Mark Aguanio, Justin Suh and Gregor Main.

pic.twitter.com/TkVPfwzxsI

— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) June 7, 2016

Aguanio, Suh and Main also qualified, together with Tyler Raber and Brandon Harkins.

As of the writing, Tabuena is one of only 10 Asians who qualified for the tournament. The other Asian countries represented are India (1), Japan (5) and South Korea (3).

Good luck to Miguel Tabuena on his first Masters tournament next week!

NEW FIBA QUALIFICATION CYCLE FOR OLYMPIC GAMES AND WORLD CUP EXPLAINED

The new cycle for the qualification for Asia and Oceania teams for the 2019 World Cup in China and 2020 Tokyo Olympics is explained in this video released by FIBA in their official YouTube Channel :

As stated in the video, this cycle will start next year and will be on a home and away game format, same as what FIFA is doing, giving more chances for the fans to watch their national teams.

GILAS PILIPINAS : ROAD TO FIBA OQT

Tickets has been released for the 2 tune up games to be played here in Manila as part of the preparations of the team for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament that will be held in Manila starting July 5.

The team will first face Iran in a 2 day tryst on June 7 and 8. The June 7 game will be a closed door scrimmage while the June 8 game is an actual game in the Smart Araneta Coliseum and will be televised by Sports 5.

The team will then head on to Europe for a series of tune up games and will also join a pocket tournament there,

Check out the schedule of Gilas: Road To Glory tune-up games! Watch it LIVE on TV5! #LabanPilipinas #PUSO pic.twitter.com/of0IfqR6Wn

— Sports5 (@Sports5PH) May 31, 2016

The team will have its final tune up game against Turkey on July 1 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The 14 man line up that will be joining the Europe training is expected to be announced on Wednesday, June 8.

VIRAL VIDEO : BACKSTREET BOYS PERFORMS AT THE 2016 MISS USA PAGEANT

And the magic of the Backstreet Boys has not faded - at all. The guys again reunited and performed at the 2016 Miss USA Pageant. The hit 90's boyband sand 2 of their hit songs - "As Long As You Love Me" and "I Want It That Way".

Video of the performance was posted on the Facebook Page BackStreet Boys Fans and has already been viewed more than 800 thousand times in 19 hours.

Here is the viral video of the group's performance:

VIRAL VIDEO : MMDA POSTS PROMO VIDEO FOR THE 2016 METRO MANILA SHAKE DRILL

The Metro Manila Development Authority posted its promo video to encourage everyone to participate in the 2016 Metro Manila Shake Drill. This is the second time that the earthquake drill will be done Metro Manila wide after it was successfully started by the then MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino last year.

The video shows 2 MMDA personnel showing their dance moves to the tune of "Shake Your Groove Thing" by Peaches and Herbs. As of now, the video has more than 687 thousand views. Here is the video from the MMDA Facebook page :

In their post, they challenged popular car magazine Top Gear and auto show host James Deakin to also post their own version of the video. Let's see if both of them are up to the challenge!

2016 AFC U-14 GIRLS REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP : PHILIPPINES U14 GIRLS WINS SILVER

The young Filipina U14 girls won the silver medal in the recently concluded 2016 AFC U-14 Girls Regional Championship in Vientiane, Laos. They were able to match the second place finish of the 2014 Philippines team.

The team is composed of a good mix of Fil-foreign and local players.

In the group stage, the Philippines was drawn into Group A, together with defending champion Thailand, Cambodia and host Laos.

The team's first game was against the host team, which they won, 3-1. On the second day, the Filipinas was able to survive the defending champions and get a 2-2 draw against Thailand. Their last group stage game ended with a 1-0 win over Cambodia. Advancing to the semis as 2nd place in Group A due to higher goals scored by Thailand, the team was able to show a great performance against Myanmar, winning with a wide margin of 5-1.

In the finals, it was a rematch between the defending champions Thailand and the 2nd place Philippines. But in the end, the Filipinas were not able to get an equalizer for the 1st half goal scored by Thailand. The cmapion team Thailand beat the Philippines with a score of 1-0.

Image is from the official Twitter page of the Philippine Women's Football Team.

FIBA 3X3 U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP : TEAM PHILIPPINES FINISHES AT 17TH PLACE

Team Philippines maintained its standing of 17th place at the recently concluded 2016 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan. Bannered by the Batang Gilas standout Joshua Sinclair, the other team members are John Clemente, Theo Josh Flores and Kyle Tan.

The team was drawn in Pool D and managed only to win once. The team first lost to defending champion New Zealand (11-21) and then to Brazil (14-20) on the 2nd day of the competition. Games of the team on the 4th day were both cancelled due to the weather. The games were rescheduled early the next day.

The Filipino teens was able to get into the Win column by beating Hungary (18-17). Unfortunately, the team did not qualify to the knockout stage after the last game loss to Spain (14-16).

Here is the video of the team's win over Hungary from the FIBA 3x3 official YouTube channel:

Image is from FIBA 3x3 Official Facebook page