Your Complete DITO Guide: Simplest steps to order online and activate your DITO simcard without a compatible phone

Easiest steps to maximize your DITO experience despite the unnecessary restrictions of its welcome promo.


My phone was not listed as “compatible” with DITO simcard. But I was able to access their online shop. I paid the P199 promo fee and they promised me free simcard and delivery in 3-4 days.



You too can do it too:


  1. Download the Dolphin browser.


  1. With the browser open, click the dolphin logo.


  1. Click the cog logo.


  1. Click ADVANCED.


  1. Click Customize.


  1. Click Custom.


  1. Paste this on the blank box: Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 10; SM-G980F) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/80.0.3987.162 Mobile Safari/537.36

  1. Click OK

  2. Go back to Dolphin browser homepage


  1. Paste this on the URL box: join.dito.ph/shopmobile/third/channel

  2. Click Sign up now


  1. Fill up all the blank spaces.


  1. Click Check now.

  2. You’ll be told you’re awesome and DITO-ready.


  1. Fill up all the blank spaces and click Submit.

  2. Check the email account you provided and this email (usually found in your spam box) awaits you.


  1. After a few hours, you will receive this email. Click Get my DITO SIM (be sure to choose the Dolphin browser to open the link).


  1. You will be asked to enter your email address and PIN.


  1. Pay the P199 promo fee (I used GCash), provide your delivery address and they will show you this:


  1. You can click Track delivery but it’s better to just wait.



 

DOH: 24 areas in Cebu, 4 in Bohol and 2 in Negros Oriental contributed to 305 new Covid-19 cases in Central Visayas on March 20, 2021

 DOH: 30 cities and towns in Central Visayas with new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, March 20, 2021

  1. Cebu City, Cebu: 87
  2. Mandaue City, Cebu: 71
  3. Lapulapu City, Cebu: 36
  4. Consolacion, Cebu: 20
  5. Minglanilla, Cebu: 14
  6. Talisay City, Cebu: 12
  7. Danao City, Cebu: 9
  8. Liloan, Cebu: 9
  9. Toledo City, Cebu: 8
  10. Boljoon, Cebu: 4
  11. Naga City, Cebu: 4
  12. Argao, Cebu: 3
  13. Carcar City, Cebu: 3
  14. San Fernando, Cebu: 3
  15. Ubay, Bohol: 3
  16. Carmen, Cebu: 2
  17. Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental: 2
  18. Pinamungajan, Cebu: 2
  19. Tagbilaran City, Bohol: 2
  20. Aloguinsan, Cebu: 1
  21. Bilar, Bohol: 1
  22. Bogo City, Cebu: 1
  23. Catmon, Cebu: 1
  24. Compostela, Cebu: 1
  25. Cordova, Cebu: 1
  26. Garcia Hernandez, Bohol: 1
  27. Sibonga, Cebu: 1
  28. Sibulan, Negros Oriental: 1
  29. Tabogon, Cebu: 1
  30. Tuburan, Cebu: 1


Spotify ni Sir Dodong

[akong column sa The Freeman karong adlawa]


Pagkabasa nako nga ang di pa inilang composers ug mga mag-aawit gamay rag kita sa Spotify, diin gi-upload ang ilang mga kanta, kay nalubong sa minilyon ka nag-unang mga kanta ug wa silay paagi pagpabati sa ilang mga kanta sa mas daghan, nahinumdom kong Dr. Jose “Sir Dodong” Gullas.

Kon nia pa unta uban nato si Sir Dodong di siya maglangay sa pagtabang sa naapiking Sugbuanong composers ug mga mag-aawit. Kay dako ang kahigayonan nga apil sila sa nameligrong malumos sa kalibotanong gahong sa Spotify.

-o0o-

Sama sa naandan, nakahunahuna kog tinihik nga paagi: Matabangan ang mga Sugbuanon sa Spotify kon magsige kog patokar sa ilang mga kanta. Segun sa akong mga kaila sa industriya, mobayad ang Spotify og 15 sentabos sa composer ug mag-aawit sa kada stream sa ilang kanta.

Sa ato pa, nagkinahanglan og pito ka tokar sa kanta una mokita og P1 ug 67 ka tokar una makatigom og P100. Lisod nang abton kon pila ray mag-Spotify. Pero kon mas daghan tang maminaw sa Bisayang mga kanta kada adlaw mabuhi tingaling atong composers ug mga mag-aawit.

-o0o-

Nakatabang ang akong asawa ug iyang Spotify premium account. Nga maggamit sa unom ka devices. Human pakisaw-i sa duha namo ka higala, ang upat nga nahibilin gisumpay sa mga telepono ug voice-controlled virtual assistants sa Amazon ug Google.

Naghimo kog playlist sa karaang mga Binisaya ug laing playlist sa mga bag-o. Kada playlist may kapin sa 300 ka kanta. Kon patokaron sa virtual assistants 24/7, matokar ang tanang kanta ug kada usa mokita og 15 sentabos kada adlaw ug P1 kada semana.

-o0o-

Pero human sa usa ka adlaw ug tunga, gi-alingugngogan ko, bisan gipahinayan, sa bag-ong mga kanta. Gawas nga nagsurok akong dugo sa yungit nilang Binisaya.

Naghimo kog laing playlist ug maoy gipatokar tibuok adlaw ug gabii sud sa kapin na sa semana. Naglakip sa Binisaya nga mga kantang ganahan ni Sir Dodong. Ug sa 22 ka bersiyon sa Matud Nila ug 29 ka bersiyon sa Usahay. Para sa ganahang motabang sa Sugbuanong composers ug mga mag-aawit ug mopasidungog ni Sir Dodong, akong i-share ning playlist, “Saluma ni Dodong” http://spoti.fi/30B8ROm. [30] leolastimosaa@gmail.com 




Quincentennary of Christianity in Cebu and the Philippines: Christian faith helps Filipinos navigate through the journey of life

Vatican News

Pope Francis will mark 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines with a Holy Mass on Sunday in St. Peter’s Basilica at 5 pm Philippine time (10 am Rome time) today, March 14, 2021. 

The Christian faith that arrived in the Philippines 500 years ago, is very much alive today in the joyful witness to evangelical charity by Catholics, even in hard times, says Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).  The Philippine Church has been preparing for this great jubilee celebration for 9 years, with each year having a specific theme. 

It all began when the great 16th-century Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, who led a Spanish expedition to the so-called ‘East Indies’, 1519 to 1522, reached what is today known as the Philippines on 16 March 1521.  His sailors had planned to remain there for a month and a half. It is believed that during that time, the first Mass was celebrated on Filipino soil on March 31, 1521, on the island of Limasawa, south of Leyte.  Some 800 were baptized to form the first Catholic community.

Centenary celebrations

The Catholic Church in the Philippines has chosen Easter Sunday, 4 April, to formally inaugurate the year-long celebration of the 5th centenary.  On that occasion, in a ceremony, Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), will flag off the opening of the “Holy Doors” of pilgrim churches across the nation.  The theme of the jubilee celebration is “Gifted to Give”. 

Joyful faith

“Faith is a gift from God. And so, we are joyful in this special jubilee year,” Archbishop Valles said.  He explained to Vatican Radio that they are also joyful because they have experienced that faith has given meaning to life. “In a sense, faith helps us to navigate through the journey of life,” and this faith is lived not only individually but also in the family and in the community.

Witnessing to faith in Jesus in the Asian context, according to Pope Francis, Archbishop Valles said, means to show the joy of believing. “It is joyful to believe and entrust our lives to Jesus.”  Life in the Philippines, he said, is difficult but faith helps them to be strong amidst the storms of life and forge ahead, assured that the Lord with them.  This is the reason behind the joy of the 500 years of the Christian faith in the Philippines - the joy of living in the Lord.

Commitment to evangelize

This faith also entails the duty to evangelize. But even before we can evangelize, he explained, we first need to “deeply realize and appreciate that we are gifted - gifted with faith from the Lord”.


“That is why our theme for the celebration is ‘Gifted to Give’”, he said.  With the awareness that you are gifted, “also comes the desire to share this faith”.  The entire program of the celebration of the jubilee year, the archbishop said, is centred around this theme of reviewing and appreciating again the gift of faith, and realizing the duty of the mission to share this faith.

“Five hundred years ago, we had that first encounter of faith,” the Philippine bishops’ president said. The first seed of faith was planted in their forefathers, and today the Church in the Philippines is trying to help the faithful not only to encounter Jesus personally but also to meet Him in those they serve, especially the needy, the poor and the marginalized.

Charity amid hard times

However, in the present context of the pandemic, Archbishop Valles said, it is difficult to witness to evangelical charity. He spoke about the bad times the Filipinos have been going through over the past two years.  

At the end of 2019, there were strong earthquakes in the Philippines, killing many lives and destroying numerous homes. At the start of 2020, another volcano erupted near Manila, causing the evacuation of thousands of people.  By March of that year, the Covid-19 pandemic struck the Philippines.   The end of the year saw 2 strong typhoons.

“I’m just amazed at our people and our churches,” the CBCP president wondered. “It was a difficult situation but I would believe that the Church in the Philippines, in a very silent way, became a witness to evangelical charity.”   

Both the rich and the poor went out to help the victims of these tragedies. During the pandemic, the dioceses organized in all the parishes the delivery of food packs to poor families who lost the means of their livelihood.

In his own Archdiocese of Davao, Archbishop Valles pointed out, he was very hesitant to make a public appeal to help poor families whose breadwinners lost their jobs but was touched by the response of the people. It is the same story in other dioceses of the Philippines, he said. 

Recently, when the vaccination programme kicked off in the Philippines, churches volunteered to offer the government their facilities as vaccination centers, especially in remote areas. Hence, when asked to be witnesses to evangelical charity, to be a house with open doors that offers hope and strength, Archbishop Valles said they stood up to the challenge. He said they still continue to be a Church that, above all, is able to offer charity, mercy and compassion in times of great difficulty.

DOH: 33 cities and towns in Cebu, 6 in Bohol, 6 in Negros Oriental and 1 in Siquijor contributed to 397 new Covid-19 cases on March 13, 2021

DOH: 46 areas in Central Visayas with new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, March 13, 2021
  1. Cebu City, Cebu: 146
  2. Mandaue City, Cebu: 67
  3. Lapulapu City, Cebu: 45
  4. Talisay City, Cebu: 20
  5. Consolacion, Cebu: 17
  6. Liloan, Cebu: 11
  7. Minglanilla, Cebu: 10
  8. Sibonga, Cebu: 7
  9. San Remigio, Cebu: 6
  10. Toledo City, Cebu: 6
  11. Compostela, Cebu: 5
  12. Boljoon, Cebu: 4
  13. Carcar City, Cebu: 4
  14. Cordova, Cebu: 4
  15. Pinamungajan, Cebu: 4
  16. Danao City, Cebu: 3
  17. Argao, Cebu: 2
  18. Bogo City, Cebu: 2
  19. Daanbantayan, Cebu: 2
  20. Dalaguete, Cebu: 2
  21. Naga City, Cebu: 2
  22. Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, Bohol: 2
  23. San Fernando, Cebu: 2
  24. Sogod, Cebu: 2
  25. Alcantara, Cebu: 1
  26. Alcoy, Cebu: 1
  27. Alegria, Cebu: 1
  28. Antequera, Bohol: 1
  29. Baclayon, Bohol: 1
  30. Bacong, Negros Oriental: 1
  31. Badian, Cebu: 1
  32. Balamban, Cebu: 1
  33. Barili, Cebu: 1
  34. Buenavista, Bohol: 1
  35. Corella, Bohol: 1
  36. Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental: 1
  37. Larena, Siquijor: 1
  38. Mabinay, Negros Oriental: 1
  39. Medellin, Cebu: 1
  40. Santa Catalina, Negros Oriental: 1
  41. Santa Fe, Cebu: 1
  42. Sevilla, Bohol: 1
  43. Sibulan, Negros Oriental: 1
  44. Tabogon, Cebu: 1
  45. Tanjay City, Negros Oriental: 1
  46. Tuburan, Cebu: 1


DOH: 32 cities and towns in Cebu, 14 in Bohol and 3 in Negros Oriental had new Covid-19 cases on Friday, March 12, 2021

DOH: 49 cities and towns in Central Visayas ranked according to their number of new Covid-19 cases on March 12, 2021

  1. Cebu City, Cebu: 233
  2. Lapulapu City, Cebu: 76
  3. Mandaue City, Cebu: 69
  4. Talisay City, Cebu: 21
  5. Corella, Bohol: 11
  6. Minglanilla, Cebu: 9
  7. Consolacion, Cebu: 8
  8. Liloan, Cebu: 7
  9. Toledo City, Cebu: 6
  10. Tagbilaran City, Bohol: 5
  11. Carcar City, Cebu: 4
  12. Danao City, Cebu: 4
  13. Naga City, Cebu: 4
  14. Bogo City, Cebu: 3
  15. Dagohoy, Bohol: 3
  16. Dalaguete, Cebu: 3
  17. Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental: 3
  18. Medellin, Cebu: 3
  19. Carmen, Cebu: 2
  20. Compostela, Cebu: 2
  21. Cordova, Cebu: 2
  22. Daanbantayan, Cebu: 2
  23. Oslob, Cebu: 2
  24. Sibonga, Cebu: 2
  25. Sibulan, Negros Oriental: 2
  26. Tuburan, Cebu: 2
  27. Alcoy, Cebu: 1
  28. Aloguinsan, Cebu: 1
  29. Antequera, Bohol: 1
  30. Asturias, Cebu: 1
  31. Baclayon, Bohol: 1
  32. Batuan, Bohol: 1
  33. Boljoon, Cebu: 1
  34. Calape, Bohol: 1
  35. Candijay, Bohol: 1
  36. Catigbian, Bohol: 1
  37. Garcia Hernandez, Bohol: 1
  38. Mabinay, Negros Oriental: 1
  39. Maribojoc, Bohol: 1
  40. Moalboal, Cebu: 1
  41. Pinamungajan, Cebu: 1
  42. San Fernando, Cebu: 1
  43. San Francisco, Cebu: 1
  44. San Isidro, Bohol: 1
  45. San Remigio, Cebu: 1
  46. Sogod, Cebu: 1
  47. Tabogon, Cebu: 1
  48. Ubay, Bohol: 1
  49. Valencia, Bohol 1



Mass booklet for the Quincentennial Mass with Pope Francis on March 14 can be downloaded here

    The Quincentennial Mass with Pope Francis will be on the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter.

    There will be 10 concelebrants, with Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle (Prefect, Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples) and Cardinal Angelo Di Donatis (Pope Francis' Vicar for Rome).

    You can download the PDF file of the Mass booklet (with texts and songs in Italian, English, Filipino, Cebuano and Latin).

    The Philippines is the world's third largest Catholic country (after Brazil and Mexico) and has the largest number of English-speaking Catholics.

    Some 60% of Asian Catholics are Filipinos.