Maniolas

President Benigno S. Aquino III, ushered by PTAA secretary general and Travel Tour Expo 2014 executive director Marciano Ragaza III, tours the booths during the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) 21st Travel Tour Expo 2014 at the SMX Convention Center, Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City on Friday(February 14) with the theme: “Love Life, Love Travel”. The Department of Tourism is projecting 2014 tourism revenues to hit P1.4 trillion, higher by P110.6 billion of the expected earnings from domestic tourism in 2013 due in large part to a forecasted increase in the daily expenditures of domestic tourists. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – If the bill seeking to increase the tax exemption cap for 13th month pay and other benefits would be passed into law, those earning up to P82,000 would also be covered. This after Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, the sponsor of the Senate Bill 2437 and chairman of the ways and means committee, has accepted the amendment by Senator Ralph Recto during the plenary deliberations to raise the tax exemption cap to P82,000. “I welcome the amendment of Sen. Recto, the resident tax expert of the chamber. He is correct in saying that if we are to follow the logic of the proposal, we must use the correct figure consistent with the inflation rate,” Angara said Wednesday in a press statement. The Senate on Tuesday evening approved on second reading the bill that seeks to raise the take-home pay of Filipino workers by increasing the tax Read More …

AFP chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. (3rd right) and DOH acting Secretary Janette Garin (3rd left) flash the thumbs up sign while giving copies of news articles about the peacekeepers, during their visit at the quarantine area in Caballo Island on Sunday, November 16. During the visit Catapang announced that the peacekeepers will be allowed to spend Christmas and New Year with their families, drawing loud cheers among the peacekeepers. (MNS photo) MANILA (AFP) – The Philippines’ top health and military officials were under fire Tuesday for visiting Filipino UN troops undergoing quarantine after serving in Ebola-ravaged Liberia. More than 100 soldiers and police were confined for 21 days on an island at the mouth of Manila Bay last week, part of measures meant to ensure the Asian country remained free from the deadly Ebola virus. However, armed forces chief General Gregorio Catapang and acting health secretary Janette Garin then apparently violated the government’s own protocols with a visit to the island over the weekend, said Philippine College of Physicians president Anthony Leachon. “It was a breach of protocol – quarantine is an enforced isolation during the 21-day incubation period” of the virus, Leachon, who leads the country’s 9,000-plus internal medicine specialists, told AFP. “It might send the wrong signal,” Leachon said. Politicians and netizens also criticized the two officials for the visit, in which neither wore protective gear. The general was shown on television engaging in elbow bumps with the quarantined peacekeepers. “Overflowing supply of stupidity in the Read More …

Kris Aquino (MNS photo) Television host and actress Kris Aquino finally offered an explanation on why she was notably absent from ABS-CBN’s 2014 Christmas station ID, which was launched Thursday night. Dubbed “Thank You Ang Babait Ninyo,” the station ID featured the original song of the same title performed by “The Voice Kids” winner Lyca Gairanod and runners-up Darren Espanto, Juan Karlos Labajo and Darlene Vibares. Several of the network’s stars and news personalities were included in the video, where they were seen thanking loved ones and other Kapamilyas around the globe. However, Aquino was not among those who participated in the 10-minute video. It prompted several netizens to question why she was not there, to which Aquino replied on her Instagram account. The actress said: “I was in Japan taping Kris TV when the Thank You spiels were being taped, then super na busy sa FENG SHUI…” Aquino was referring to her trip to Japan last month that was featured on her morning talk show, and the upcoming sequel to the horror hit “Feng Shui,” which is the actress’ entry to this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival. (MNS) Video Courtesy f Youtube ABS-CBN Entertainment

(Southern California Edison building) ROSEMEAD, Calif.  – While overeating and Thanksgiving are virtually synonymous, cooking accidents and Turkey Day, unfortunately, go hand in hand, too. Because of the latter, Southern California Edison (SCE) urges its customers to add a healthy dose of safety to their preparations this Thanksgiving, since the National Fire Protection Association says cooking is the leading cause of home fires on a day that has three times more home fires than any other day of the year. Unattended cooking is the culprit in most of those fires, said the U.S. Fire Administration. “It’s easy to get distracted while cooking and entertaining family and friends on Thanksgiving Day,” said Don Neal, SCE director of Corporate Environmental, Health and Safety. “But you should never leave cooking equipment or appliances unattended for any reason. It is imperative that you turn them off or have someone else watch them if you leave the room. It only takes a few inattentive seconds to ruin your holiday.” About 2,000 fires occur each year in the U.S. on Thanksgiving Day, causing on average five fatalities, 15 injuries and $21 million in property damage, according to the fire administration. Additionally, customers should ensure that appliances bear the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) mark. UL is the leading independent product safety organization, and they do not currently certify the use of turkey fryers. SCE recommends some other safety tips for Thanksgiving: Replace appliances with frayed cords. Contact with them can cause electric shock and serious injury. Plug countertop appliances into Ground Fault Circuit Read More …

The last few months have been precarious for caregivers. The Federal Government hinted that abuse of the system would perhaps cancel the live in caregiver program. Others worried that family members would be banned from hiring relatives. Finally, rumours were that caregivers would be granted open work permits from the start. All of those never happened. In a surprise move, the Canadian Immigration department has announced that caregivers are no longer required to be live in and that caregivers will be reunited with their spouses and children much faster by expediting permanent residence. The following is Canada Immigration’s announcement of November 1, 2014.  Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Chris Alexander, announced significant reforms to the Caregiver Program that acknowledges the valuable contributions caregivers make to Canadian families and the economy. Changes to the program include ending the live-in requirement, and providing eligible caregivers with two pathways that will lead to permanent residence within six months. One pathway features criteria for child care providers that are very similar to current requirements, but without the need for the caregiver to live in the home of their employer where they may be vulnerable to abuse. In addition, caregivers in a variety of health care occupations, including registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, licensed practical nurses, nurse aides, orderlies, patient service associates and home support workers, will also have a pathway to permanent residence. Eligible caregivers in this stream would be able to gain their work experience either in providing in-home care or care in a health-care Read More …