Maniolas

A protester holds a placard at a rally in front of the Chinese Consulate in Makati City on Tuesday, denouncing China’s claim to islands claimed by the Philippines in the Spratly Islands. The Philippines will present China’s aggressiveness in staking its claim during a UN tribunal hearing in the Hague. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – China has expressed willingness to work with the Duterte administration to improve its bilateral ties with the Philippines marred by a simmering territorial dispute involving the West Philippine Sea. In a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying stressed that improving bilateral ties between the two countries would provide opportunity to realize common development. “The Chinese side is willing to make joint efforts toward that end with the new government of the Philippines,” Hua said. Hua did not mention the territorial dispute, but said the Chinese government believes that “it is in the fundamental interests of both China and the Philippines and in the shared anticipation of the two peoples to handle related issues properly and to bring the bilateral relations back on track of sound and stable development.” “China has always pursued a foreign policy of building good neighborly relationships and partnerships with its neighboring countries including the Philippines,” Hua said. Duterte, who won by a landslide in the May 9 elections, had earlier said that the Philippines under his administration would not engage in war with China, saying doing so would only result in a “massacre.” The Philippines Read More …

Jodi Sta. Maria (MNS Photo) Jodi Sta. Maria and Jolo Revilla have split, the actress confirmed to reporters Tuesday at the sidelines of a press conference for her upcoming film, “The Achy Breaky Hearts.” Sta. Maria, 34, did not go into details about the breakup but said that she and Revilla, the vice governor of Cavite, remain friends. Rumors about their split first surfaced after Revilla accidentally shot himself on the chest back in February 2015 following the arrest of his father, Senator Bong Revilla. According to a report, Revilla and Sta. Maria had decided to call it quits six months earlier. The rumors, however, died down after the two refused to speak up about the issue, and Sta. Maria was seen with Revilla as he recovered from his self-inflicted gunshot wound. It also appeared that the two had ironed out their differences after they were spotted at a local cafe last June 10. Sta. Maria first confirmed her relationship with Revilla in late 2012. Prior to Revilla, Sta. Maria was also in a relationship with Pampi Lacson, with whom she has a son. (MNS)

By Leslie D. Venzon President Benigno S. Aquino III huddles with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) officials, headed by Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo, for a snap shot during the courtesy call at the President’s Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Monday (June 20).(MNS photo) MANILA, June 22 (PNA) – The country needs to invest more in higher education and skills training that can contribute to inclusive growth, according to a study by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). PIDS consultant Dante Canlas said new jobs in new industries, such as those in information and communications technology (ICT), have emerged. He said the demand for highly productive jobs increases as other industries innovate and grow by adopting ICT in their processes. “It is thus important for public policy to ensure that access to higher education and skills training required by these new jobs are expanded and equalized. Otherwise, income inequality gets perpetuated as the economy continues to grow,” he added. However, Canlas noted that entering college depends on the ability of a family to pay and not on the ability to learn, “a situation that needs to be corrected to make growth that is driven by higher education inclusive.” “If public policy can adequately address the phenomenon of missing financial markets for college education, then the likelihood of achieving inclusive growth from investing in higher education rises profoundly,” he said. In pursuing inclusive growth, Canlas underscored the need for the Commission on Higher Education Read More …

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte takes a selfie with members of his Cabinet after their first formal meeting in Davao, Tuesday evening. Duterte presented to the media for the first time the members of his Cabinet, whom he called “men of honesty and integrity.”(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — No media organization will be allowed inside Malacañang’s Rizal Hall for the inauguration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte on June 30, because of limited space, incoming Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said. “Yung plano, as of now, dun sa Rizal Hall, ay RTVM ang lead doon,” Andanar said referring to the Radio-Television Malacañang (RTVM), the official videographer of presidential activities. All other journalists and media workers are permitted to cover at the New Executive Building, the working area for the Malacañang Press Corps. “Lahat naman ng media bibigyan ng accreditation. Of course, you can monitor it dito sa inyong building sa New Executive Building,” Andanar said. “Talagang masikip lang talaga sa loob… ng Rizal Hall. Hindi siya ganun kalaki ang espasyo…So, iyong atin namang mga kasamahan sa RTVM ay sanay naman sila sa mga broadcast pool. So, I think you will not have a difficult time,” Andanar added. Duterte earlier said he will not give the press any interview until the end of his term, after he had a falling out with the media regarding his comments on media killings. Andanar, however, said he was confident that Duterte will be the “darling of the press” once certain adjustments on both sides are made. According to the Read More …

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal A Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrives with husband, Jose Miguel, at the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court in Quezon City, Metro Manila, April 11, 2012. Arroyo entered a plead of not guilty to allegations of graft and corruption in the tainted telecommunications deal with China in 2007. REUTERS/Cheryl Ravelo (PHILIPPINES – Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW) rroyo is in favor of granting President-elect Rodrigo Duterte additional powers to deal with the deteriorating traffic situation in Metro Manila. Arroyo is set to file a bill seeking emergency powers for Duterte in the 17th Congress. The explanatory note of the bill said the current traffic congestion in Metro Manila “impedes progress and leads to a situation where billions are lost daily in fuel cost, man hours and opportunities.” With additional powers, the explanatory note said the Duterte government could speed up the completion of infrastructure projects and introduce drastic traffic reduction measures in order to achieve its annual growth rate target of at least 7 percent. If Congress approves the bill, Duterte would be allowed to: – negotiate contracts for the construction, repair, rehabilitation, improvement or maintenance of critical infrastructure, projects and facilities subject to certain conditions; – authorize, whenever it is necessary for the national welfare and in the public interest, to set a maximum internal rate of return of not more than twelve per centum (12%) of the house-estimated project cost. Provided, That any infrastructure project that has the capacity to Read More …