Maniolas

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. offers a toast during the Independence Day Reception at the Hay Adams Hotel in Washington, D.C. (Philippine Embassy Photo by Elmer G. Cato) WASHINGTON, D.C. (Mabuhay) – The Philippines has hailed the $1- million technical assistance grant announced by Washington to strengthen workers’ rights through reforms in the country’s labor inspection capacity, saying such speed up compliance with global standards. “This is yet another initiative that reflects the enduring strategic partnership between the Philippines and the United States,” Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. said shortly after the International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) of the US Department of Labor announced the grant. The grant, awarded to the International Labor Organization, is intended to help improve the effectiveness of labor inspections in the Philippines, particularly in the areas of occupational safety and health and labor rights monitoring by workers, employers and their representatives. “The assistance will further accelerate our compliance with global labor standards,” Ambassador Cuisia said as he commended the Department of Labor and Employment, particularly Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, who vigorously negotiated for its approval in behalf of the Philippines. In selecting the Philippines, the ILAB noted the number of steps taken by the country to increase staff and enhance technology in labor inspections. It said the grant will assist in these efforts by improving labor law compliance and labor rights monitoring. “This kind of targeted technical cooperation assistance impacts significantly the promotion of labor standards enforcement and compliance in the Philippines and ensures the protection Read More …

53 MPG City / 50 MPG combined in Toyota’s most affordable hybrid 2015 Toyota Prius c TORRANCE, Calif. – Toyota’s most affordable hybrid vehicle is also its most fuel efficient.  The Prius c with EPA-estimated 53 MPG city / 46 MPG highway / 50 MPG combined, offers the highest MPG of any vehicle on the road today (MPGe vehicles not included). There’s much more to the Prius c than super-high fuel economy. A restyled front with standard single LED projector low- and high-beam headlights, new exterior colors whose names demand almost as much attention as their hues (Electric Lime Metallic, Tangerine Splash Pearl and Sparkling Sea Metallic), and new “light pipe” taillights add a futuristic touch to the design.  Add to that a cabin upgraded with premium materials, and Prius c makes a compelling choice among compact cars, hybrid or not. For years, the iconic Prius liftback has been synonymous with “hybrid.”  Today, the Prius is available in four different flavors.  The Prius Family includes the larger standard Prius liftback, the even larger and roomier Prius v and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid that can handle daily driving for many people without using gasoline. In addition, Toyota offers hybrid versions of its Camry and Avalon sedans and Highlander SUV, making Toyota the clear leader in the number of hybrid vehicle offerings and sales volume.  Toyota Value in Four Grades Prius c is available in four value-packed grades.  In all trim levels the cabin combines futuristic design elements with everyday comfort and practicality.  In addition to the all-new single LED projector low- Read More …

Manila Archbishop Antonio Luis G. Tagle as announces the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines on January 15-19 next year during a press conference July 29, 2014 in Intramuros, Manila. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Broadcast network ABS-CBN pulled out on Monday T-shirts it was selling for the January visit of Pope Francis after the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines slammed the apparel’s message as “definitely misleading and quite frankly erroneous.” ABS-CBN spokesman Bong Osorio said the message “No Race, No Religion” printed on the shirt, part of the #PopeTYSM (Thank you sa malasakit, or Thank you for caring) line sold through the ABS-CBN Store, was not meant “to deceive or mislead the public.” “We apologize if a particular statement shirt offended anyone,” he said. “We are pulling out the items from our online shop and all retail partner stores.” Osorio said the statements on the shirts the network sells were “inspired by Pope Francis’ message of love, openness, and humility.” Other shirts carry the messages, “Speak less, act more,” and “Ganito ako. Ganyan ka (I’m like this. You’re like that). Who am I to judge?” In a statement issued earlier in the day, CBCP president Socrate Villegas, archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, said: “We urge our Catholic faithful NOT to patronize items with misleading posts and statements.” “Pope Francis is aware of the fact that he heads an organized religion with a vast membership throughout the world. He is also as aware that race forms part Read More …

There is still no hope or comfort in the current gloomy situation for tens of thousands of homeless typhoon victims that devastated parts of Mindanao and Eastern Visayas region in 2013. Thousands of typhoons “Yolanda” and “Sendong” victims spent their Christmas season in one-room makeshift  shelters with no roof, due to government’s ineptness to built houses for them despite a billion-peso budget allocated for such purpose. Secretary Dinky Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local  officials of the affected regions have been blaming each other for the continued “snail pace” construction of houses for typhoon victims, including its relief operations. About P2.57 billion has been allocated by the government through the DSWD to construct houses for the typhoon victims. However, up to this time, it was reported that only a few hundreds were built, most of them without any roofing at all. A report from the Commission on Audit (COA) showed that portion of the fund was used  by some government officials for other purposes not directly related to assisting the disaster stricken victims recover from their sad plight. COA also reported that more than P1.8 billion in Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) funds allocated to DSWD remain unliquidated. As government officials continue to bungle their operations to alleviate the plight of these people, another typhoon hit parts of Mindanao and Visayas last week, triggering floods and landslides and resulting in the death to more than 50 people. The latest typhoon to hit country code named Read More …

Aiko Melendez (MNS photo) Aiko Melendez reacted to reports that she is dating a younger man after several photos of them together made the rounds online. The man in the photos has been identified as Michael Pate, a college varsity player in his early 20s. Melendez said there is nothing romantic going on between them, adding that they are always with a group of friends. “It’s pangit naman na it would come from me. Probably siguro he has a crush on me. Ganun lang. Barkada namin nila Edwin Tan. We just hang out as a group,” she said. In one of Pate’s Instagram posts, he captioned a photo of Melendez with the hashtag “true love.” Asked if she has any idea why Pate made such a remark, Melendez said: “Probably kasi I’ve been single for the past five years. Anybody na matabi sa akin, [nali-link]. Ewan ko sa kanya bakit siya nag-post ng [true love daw ako]. Sinasabi lang niya na humahanga siya sa akin pero walang [panliligaw].” Even if she said in the past that she still wants a happy ending when it comes to her love life, Melendez said Pate is “just too young.” Meanwhile, the actress said she is taking back her statement last week that she wants to have another baby with her former husband, Jomari Yllana. “I take it back. Two nights ako, parang nagdasal ako na huwag na lang. I’m content na with two kids. I have a boy and a girl so parang Read More …