Latest news with #Maharlika
CBC
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Filipino youth put skills to test as part of decades-old Maharlika dance group
Social Sharing When Kian Gilongos decided to join his local Filipino dance group, he was excited about the opportunity to be part of a family tradition that stretches back four decades. Regina's Maharlika dance group has existed since the 1980s, which is when Gilongos' father first joined the group as a teenager. "Maharlika was a really good opportunity to bring together other Filipinos that had immigrated or had been born here, and it was a really great way of sharing culture, and I decided I wanted to do that too," the 14-year-old said. The youth group features 65 dancers between the ages of six to 27. They've been practising since January for the routines that they'll perform during this year's Mosaic festival, June 5 to 7. The energy is palpable during rehearsal, the excitement reaching a fever pitch for the tinikling dance, which sees older dancers deftly step and hop over moving bamboo sticks. Gilongos describes the dance as "exhilarating." "There's just so many things that could possibly go wrong, right? Somebody could clap off, somebody could take a step wrong, and it's truly stupefying to see all of this happening and working together." WATCH | Filipino dancing a family affair: Filipino dancing a family affair 5 hours ago Duration 1:43 Kiam and Dara Gilongos are following in their father's footsteps by dancing in Regina's Maharlika dance group and embracing their Filipino roots. Last year at Mosaic, one of the dancers had a toenail slam into his foot and began bleeding, yet finished out the dance, Gilongos said. It speaks to the level of commitment the dancers have. "The show must go on, right?" The dancers say there's a camaraderie here that they don't get anywhere else — and they take pride in extending that to others who appreciate their culture. Twenty-one-year-old Karyss King is an instructor with the group, and is among the participants who do not have Filipino ancestry. She got involved when Filipino friends, knowing she was a dancer, invited her to check out a practice. She got hooked. "I loved it so much," she said. "I think something to appreciate is just the love that everyone has. You don't have to be Filipino to be a part of Maharlika." She appreciates the challenge of certain dances, including one where dancers balance a glass of water on their heads. However, the tinikling dance intimidated her, especially as a dancer who needs to protect her feet. "When I tried it for the first time, I was honestly horrified, but I was like, 'I can't show that I'm scared,'" she said, adding that dancers begin to lose their stamina as the pace gets faster. "But when you look up and you see your friends around you, it's like, 'I have to keep going. I want to keep going and I'm going to do this dance.'" Participants say visitors will feel the good vibes and energy from the Philippines Pavilion at Mosaic and its close-knit Maharlika dancers.
Reuters
28-01-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Philippines' wealth fund eyes Chinese firm's shares in grid operator
Summary Companies NGCP has 25-year concession as sole grid operator Mistrust in Philippines over Chinese firms as diplomatic ties sour Fund seeks some influence, not control, president says MANILA, Jan 28 (Reuters) - The Philippines' sovereign wealth fund would be interested in buying a Chinese state firm's stake in the Southeast Asian country's power transmission operator, its president said on Tuesday, as the government seeks to boost its oversight of the national power grid. The wealth fund, Maharlika Investment Corp, announced on Monday it would buy a 20% stake in the National Grid Corp of the Philippines, or NGCP, which in 2007 won a 25-year concession to be the Philippines' sole power transmission operator. Maharlika president and chief executive officer Rafael Consing Jr said the fund would also be interested in shares held by China State Grid Corp, but noted that taking control of NGCP was not the fund's motivation when it decided to buy into it. "The objective was not to take control, but rather just to be able to achieve some level of influence, and you achieve that by way of your board seats," Consing told a press conference. Some Philippine legislators have in recent years warned about potential security risks from a Chinese state firm's involvement in the power grid, as well as Chinese-backed players in the telecoms market. "If it becomes available, I think so yes," Consing said when asked about the Chinese stake, adding no approach had been made to the firm. China's State Grid Corp could not immediately be reached for comment. China's State Grid has a 40% stake in NGCP, and the remaining 60% is effectively controlled by Synergy Grid & Development Phils Inc. (SGP) ( opens new tab through a common corporate structure of the latter's two largest Filipino shareholders, tycoons Henry Sy Jr. and Roberto Coyiuto Jr. Maharlika's interest comes at a time of heated maritime rivalry and deepening mistrust of China, which has opposed some recent moves by the Philippines to boost its defence collaboration with ally the United States, including use of its Typhon missile system. NGCP is also currently the subject of a congressional probe into its compliance with franchise obligations and its ownership. With a 20% stake, Maharlika will be able to subscribe to preferred shares offered by SGP, which would give the wealth fund two seats each at NGCP and SGP. Consing said Maharlika's presence in NGCP would also allow the government to monitor external threats "if such threats indeed arise". Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla at the same press conference said the fund's involvement in the grid would pave the way to more efficient power transmission, potentially lowering power costs. Maharlika will acquire the preferred shares for 19.7 billion pesos ($336.64 million), which will provide the fund with an annual 6.5% dividend yield for the first three years, Consing said. ($1 = 58.5200 Philippine pesos)
