Maniolas

I hope Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago’s intention to file a resolution requesting the Senate leadership to conduct question hour on Budget Secretary Butch Abad pushes through and force him to release vital information regarding the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP). At least Santiago’s question hour with Abad is much, much more credible than the previous Senate inquiry that they did on Abad. Senate President Frank Drilon, the biggest “pork barrel” beneficiary, coached Abad in parrying questions thrown by some senators amid allegations that most, if not all projects funded through DAP, were either fake or grossly overpriced. As long as Drilon is the Senate President, and Belmonte as Speaker of the house, I don’t have much hope in both chambers ever reasserting their independence from Malacañang. Both Drilon and Belmonte will do whatever Malacañang wants. Drilon and some other senators and congressmen who benefitted from the DAP funds have lost all their moral authority to govern. The public has lost faith in them, except for a few lawmakers. Abad’s  presence in the Senate however will require presidential approval, according to a Malacañang spokesman. If and when President Noynoy invokes his executive privilege, the Senate cannot compel Abad to testify about the illegal DAP funds. I do not see any reason for the President to prevent Abad from appearing before the Senate and being subjected to the question hour since the information the Senate seeks is not covered by the doctrine of executive privilege. Unless the administration wants Abad to withhold Read More …

Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Koko Pimentel III conduct an ocular inspection of the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building II on Monday, September 1. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) –Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to put Hilmarc’s Construction Corporation, general contractor of the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall building II project, on provisional blacklist for its supposed irregular practices. During the continuation of the hearing of the blue ribbon committee on the alleged overpricing, Trillanes also asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to withhold further payments to the construction company until the issue on the Makati City Hall building II is resolved. “Very unsound yung ginagawa nila. They will build a foundation [pero] hindi alam kung gaano kataas yung itatayong building. That is what you get, Hilmarcs. Kung hindi nyo sinisilip yung plano ng gagawin nyo, hindi dapat makakakuha ng proyekto ang Hilmarc’s and for COA to tignan muna, i-notify bago bayaran,” he said. Engr. Efren Canlas, chairman of the board and incorporation of Hilmarc’s, admitted during the hearing that they had yet to see the entire plan or design of the controversial building when they joined the bidding for its construction. He said what they saw was only the “scope of work.” “For the record po, when you bidded for Phase 1 [of the construction], wala kayong nakitang final look ng building na gagawin nyo? Na ginagawan nyo ng foundation for? You knew it was a building, ang itsura Read More …

2015 Nissan Altima: The 2015 Nissan Altima is not only Nissan’s best-selling vehicle but also one of the top-selling cars in the United States – thanks to its distinctive exterior and interior design, rewarding driving experience and innovative, driver-focused technology. NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A consumer favorite and Nissan’s top-selling model in the U.S., the Nissan Altima continues to impress with its premium exterior and interior design and functionality. This week, the 2014 Altima was named one of the “10 Most Comfortable Cars Under $30,000” by Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. The Altima finished sixth on the list, with KBB.com editors specifically citing its “notably comfortable” NASA-inspired “Zero Gravity” front seats as a selling-point. To create the “10 Most Comfortable Cars Under $30,000” list, KBB.com editors selected cars offering comfort-oriented features that “debuted upmarket just a few years ago.” Each of the 10 vehicles start below $30,000 according to Kelley Blue Book’s Fair Purchase Price (FPP), a tool designed to show shoppers what others are paying for a specific new car. The 2014 Altima’s current FPP is $21,223 USD, among the top three most affordable on the list. “In addition to its advanced ‘Zero Gravity’ front seats, the 2014 Altima features soft-touch armrests as well as noise absorption materials to help reduce cabin noise and improve the overall experience inside the vehicle,“ said Fred Diaz, senior vice president, Nissan Sales & Marketing and Operations. “Coupled with its innovative, stylish design and wide range of available technology features, the Altima is the perfect home-away-from-home. Read More …

President Benigno S. Aquino lll delivers his speech at the Asean Business Awards Philippines held at New World Hotel in Makati City,Tuesday September 9, 2014.The ASEAN Business Awards Philippines aims to recognize outstanding local enterprises and use it platform to spread knowledge about the ASEAN Economic Community. (MNS Photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — The international community on Wednesday welcomed the latest step in the peace process between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, with the submission of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress leaders. Australia reaffirmed its support for the peace process, Ambassador Bill Tweddell said in a post on his Twitter account. “Australia is committed to supporting pursuit for peace in Mindanao and welcomes mutually-acceptable Bangsamoro Basic Law in Congress,” he said, after President Benigno Aquino III formally turned over copies of the draft law to Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. in Malacañang. The draft law’s transmittal to Congress signals the start of another crucial stage in the peace process, when the bill will go through the legislative mill and face lawmakers’ scrutiny. Earlier, Australia said its development assistance program has been supporting peace efforts in conflict-affected Mindanao since 1995. Tweddell, in his remarks at an Iftar reception last July 22, said Australia, via partner organizations, has focused on four key priorities: increasing women’s participation in the peace process promoting peace education among youth increasing capacity of communities to better manage local level violence providing technical assistance to the negotiating parties Read More …

Free AARP TEK workshops with translation supportexpanding to more cities in 2015 AARP Seminar WASHINGTON, D.C., September 10, 2014 – More than 300 people attended AARP TEK workshops designed for Chinese, Filipino, and other Asian American and Pacific Islander communities on how to use personal technology during AARP’s Ideas@50+ National Event and Expo in San Diego last week. AARP TEK (which stands for Technology Education and Knowledge) is a comprehensive technology education program specifically geared towards the 50+ audience and works to close the technology gap for older adults. Workshops were held in English with translation support available in Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Hindi, and Korean. As with the inaugural translation-supported workshops delivered in Boston earlier this year, the San Diego workshops were offered at no charge. As AARP TEK continues to provide more workshops with translation support, AARP trainers are learning how to better present and integrate multilingual content and materials within the program to better serve Chinese, Filipino, and other AAPI communities. AARP Seminar  “After the hands-on training, the smartphone was no longer as intimidating or irrelevant to their lives,” said Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Markets and Engagement, Asian American and Pacific Islander Audience. “Transformations were occurring in the two-hour session as participants learned basic tools to stay connected with family and friends, including how to Skype, text, send emails, take photos and ‘selfies,’ use maps, and more. A 95-year-old Chinese American woman traveled from Los Angeles to join us! What great spirit!” AARP TEK offered six Read More …