Maniolas

BERLIN, Germany) President Benigno S. Aquino III arrives at the Berlin Tegel Airport for his official visit on Friday (September 19). Also in photo is Minister and Consul General Mardomel Celo Melicor escorting the president. (MNS photo) NEW YORK  (Mabuhay) – At least three activists on Tuesday disrupted an event at Columbia University in New York for President Benigno Aquino III. The activists, who were among the audience at Columbia University’s World Leaders Forum, said the President needs to explain the extrajudicial killings in the country, where the funds for Yolanda victims went, and the presence of military troops in the country. All of them, before they were escorted outside, shouted “No peace, no justice. Stop the killings in the Philippines.” The President, however, did not respond and just continued answering questions during the open forum. (MNS)

Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz leads the lowering of the time capsule during the groundbreaking ceremony Friday (Feb. 7, 2014) for the construction of the “Green Innovation Technology Center” at the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Complex in Taguig City. Also in photo are (from left) Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) Executive Vice President Angel Ngu, TESDA Secretary Joel Villanueva, FFCCCII president Dr. Alfonso G. Siy, and FFCCCII Chairman Emeritus Lucio Tan. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Employers can now get a guide on complying with labor laws from the Internet, after the Department of Labor and Employment posted a manual on the subject online. The DOLE said the Manual on the Labor Law Compliance System can be viewed or downloaded from the website of the Bureau of Working Conditions, www.bwc.dole.gov.ph. “Accountability, integrity, transparency, and uniformity of action have all been in my mind when I instructed the formulation of this Manual on the Labor Law Compliance System.  I have been thinking that a manual such as this befits the singular importance of the reform that the LLCS is,”  said DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. The manual was the work of the Bureau of Working Conditions in cooperation with concerned DOLE agencies. It guides to all DOLE regional directors and Labor Laws Compliance Officers (LLCOs) in the conduct of Joint Assessment, Compliance Visit, and Occupational Safety and Health Standards Investigation. The manual’s contents include instructions on: assessment of priority establishments Read More …

(KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia) President Benigno S. Aquino III greets Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak upon arrival for the Meeting at the Perdana Putra Building in Putrajaya on Friday (February 28) during his State Visit to Malaysia. President Aquino and PM Najib are expected to discuss the upcoming signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The negotiating panels of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will meet in Malaysia before the month ends to set parameters for the decommissioning of firearms of MILF combatants. In a chance interview on the sidelines of a forum on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), government peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said members of both panels are set to meet in Kuala Lumpur from September 27 to 29 “to pull everything together.” Part of the agenda for the three-day meeting is the finalization of the composition of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) as well as the International Decommissioning Body (IDB), Ferrer said. She said they aim to establish these bodies within the month. Under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed by the government and the MILF last March, the TJRC is tasked “to study and recommend the appropriate mechanisms to address legitimate grievances of the Bangsamoro people, correct historical injustices, and address human rights violations through land dispossession.” Experts Meanwhile, the IDB, to be composed of three foreign experts and four Filipinos, will validate the inventory of Read More …

Aquino in Germany (MNS photo) BOSTON, Massachusetts (Mabuhay) – The Philippines has changed a lot and has created more opportunities for its people because of the reform measures undertaken by the government, President Benigno S. Aquino III said Sunday in a speech before students of Boston College and the Filipino-American community here. Among the major changes that have taken place in the Philippines are the country’s big strides in the economic front, the peace in Mindanao, and government initiatives to fight corruption, he said. The President recalled that from 2006 to 2009, average growth was at 4.3 percent, saying this was largely consumer-driven, fueled by the remittances of overseas workers who had lost hope in the motherland. Since taking office in 2010, President Aquino said, his administration has worked to foster sustainability by rebalancing the economy towards investments. “Since 2010, our economy has been growing at an average of 6.3 percent, and last year, we posted an economic growth of 7.2 percent, making us one of the fastest growing economies in our part of the world,” he told his audience. The World Economic Forum Competitiveness Report showed that the Philippines jumped from 85th place in 2010 to 52nd in 2014, the biggest improvement by any country in that particular time frame. The three major credit ratings agencies, namely Fitch, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s, also upgraded the country for the first time to investment grade in 2013, he said, adding that these upgrades reduced the cost of borrowing and reinforced Read More …

Paulo Avelino (MNS Photo) Actor Paulo Avelino has clarified why he deleted photos of his rumored girlfriend, actress KC Concepcion, on his Instagram page. Avelino made it clear that he deleted several photos on his Instagram account, not just Concepcion’s, to keep up with his page’s black and white theme. He stressed that people should not make an issue out of his Instagram account, which has the username pauavelino. “Sa Instagram kasi ang theme ko is black and white. So parang nilinis ko lang sila lahat, lahat ng colored. Actually, ang dami ko talagang tinanggal, not just ‘yung picture niya but also pictures with others. Tinanggal ko sila lahat. So if you see my page, it’s just black and white. It’s all quotes, films and me. Wala namang issue,” he explained. Some netizens recently speculated that Avelino and Concepcion are not on good terms after the actor deleted their photos on Instagram. Avelino maintained that he and Concepcion are doing well. KC Concepcion (MNS Photo) “Siguro nabibigyang malisya lang ng mga tao pero wala, wala. We’re okay,” he said. “It’s still the same.” The Kapamilya actor admitted, however, that they barely have time for each other given their hectic schedules. He is currently one of the lead stars of “Sana Bukas Pa Ang Kahapon,” while Concepcion is part of “Ikaw Lamang.” Both are primetime shows on ABS-CBN. “Well, busy pareho eh. Pareho kaming may soap ngayon. May ginagawa rin akong movie ngayon. Mahirap, ang hirap lalo pa ngayon may Cosmo Read More …