DepEd Statement on the newly signed Election Service Reform Act

The Department of Education (DepEd) welcomes the newly signed Election Service Reform Act, which makes election duties voluntary for public school teachers. We always welcome legislation that promote and uphold the rights and safety of our teachers. We are confident that our public school teachers will always be ready to help and serve our countrymen. 

Action-Adventure "Ben-Hur" Reveals International Poster‏

A new international one-sheet art of Paramount Pictures' upcoming epic, action-adventure “Ben-Hur” has just been released, carrying the emotional tagline, “Brother against brother. Slave against empire.”

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Keith Clarke and John Ridley, “Ben-Hur” stars Jack Huston (HBO's “Boardwalk Empire”), Toby Kebbell (“The Prince of Persia”), Morgan Freeman, and also starring Rodrigo Santoro (“300”), Nazanin Boniadi (TV's “Homeland”), Ayelet Zurer (“Angels and Demons”), and Sofia Black D’Elia (“Project Almanac”).

“Ben-Hur” is the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur (Huston), a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala (Kebbell), an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves (Boniadi), Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption.

The film is based on Lew Wallace’s timeless novel, “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.”

Opening across the Philippines in August 2016, “Ben-Hur” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

"The Huntsman" Brings Back Charlize Theron as Queen Ravenna

Fresh from a universally acclaimed turn as Furiosa in the Oscar-winning “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Charlize Theron is back with vengeance as Snow White's ex-tormentor Queen Ravenna in Universal Pictures' fantasy adventure “The Huntsman: Winter's War.”

In the film, evil Queen Ravenna betrays her good sister Freya (Emily Blunt) with an unforgivable act, freezing Freya’s heart to love and unleashing in her an icy power she never knew she possessed. Retreating to a kingdom far to the north, Freya raises an army of Huntsmen as her protectors, with the only rule that no two of them should ever fall in love.

Palaro Participants Also Explored The Beauty of Albay

It is always not always work, work, work work for the athletes, officials and coaches of Palarong Pambansa 2016 which is now currently held in Albay Province. It is the first time Palaro will be held here and many are excited to experience a new sports destination which was hosted by Tagum City, Sta Cruz, and Dumaguete City in the past years.

Albay is known to be where the famous Mayon Volcano is located. With many of the participants came early before the official opening, training is their top priority. However, they too find pleasure in touring the province with a lot of places in interests, one of them is Cagsawa Ruins.

Neel Sethi, Wild Child Mowgli in "The Jungle Book"

The only live-action actor among an all-star cast in Disney's “The Jungle Book,” child performer Neel Sethi was chosen by director Jon Favreau after considering about 2000 kids who auditioned for the lead role of Mowgli.

The now 12-year-old Sethi is a natural athlete, enjoys playing all sports—especially basketball and football. He is working towards earning his black belt in Taekwondo and underwent parkour training to help him prepare him for his role in the film.

99.99% Bacteria-Free Water In Your Condo

If you think the best way to have 99.99-percent bacteria-free purified drinking water in your condominium is to get them from water-refilling stations, think again. 

That’s because there is a better way—one that doesn’t pose any inconvenience, safety and security issue; one that is effective, yet costs less; one that gives you the safe drinking water in no time. 

The answer is the Torayvino’s compact faucet-mounted water purifier, an easy-to-use water filtration system that is so small it fits at the palm of your hand.  Yet, this system is so effective at eliminating bacteria that causes diseases such as amoebiasis, cholera, and diarrhea.  It is the market leader in Japan (66 percent).

Mary Elizabeth Winstead Held Captive in "10 Cloverfield Lane"

She's an immensely talented actress with a gift for taking on challenging roles and bringing dynamic characters to life on screen. As she fearlessly evolves her body of work with each new project, Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“A Good Day to Die Hard,” “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”) is fast becoming one of today's leading talents across both independent and mainstream film.

Now, Winstead stars in Paramount Pictures' sci-fi thriller “10 Cloverfield Lane,” playing a woman named Michelle who after getting into a car crash, wakes up and finds herself being held captive in a mysterious bunker. Her controlling captor is named Howard (John Goodman), who tells her that she is being held there for her own good. It’s not long before she meets another person living in the bunker: Emmitt (played by John Gallagher Jr.).

Emily Blunt, the Ice Queen in "The Huntsman: Winter's War"‏

Coming off rave reviews for her indelible performances in “Sicario,” “Into the Woods” and “Edge of Tomorrow,” Emily Blunt now portrays Freya, the Ice Queen, in Universal Pictures' new fantasy adventure “The Huntsman: Winter's War.”

While Ravenna (Charlize Theron) is a wicked devourer of souls and uses her dark magic to drain the life force of her prey, her little sister Freya is a good queen of snow and ice who has built her own frozen kingdom over the decades…quietly watching Ravenna’s rise to power.

Over 12,000 delegates troop to Albay as Palaro 2016 opens

As the long-awaited Palarong Pambansa 2016 officially opened, over 12,000 delegates including student-athletes, coaches, and officials from all 18 regions have gathered at Bicol University (BU), Albay, for the opening ceremonies today, April 10.

The Department of Education (DepEd), along with this year’s Palarong Pambansa provincial host Albay, formally welcomed thousands of visitors to the games, marking the start of a week-long event in a colorful mix of costumes, flags, and banners.

Jessica Chastain, Fierce Warrior in "The Huntsman: Winter's War"

Two-time Academy Award® nominee Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty,” “The Martian”) has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actresses of her generation. Now, she stars opposite Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron and Emily Blunt in Universal Pictures' fantasy adventure “The Huntsman: Winter's War.”

Finding an actor of an equal caliber to play alongside Hemsworth as Sara, Eric the Huntsman's true love, was perhaps the production’s greatest challenge. Indeed, a great warrior with a heart as true as Eric’s, Sara required an actress with true power. And Jessica Chastian fits the part brilliantly.