Maniolas

President Benigno S. Aquino III presides over the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board Meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room of the Malacañan Palace on Friday (September 4). The meeting is to review the Public-Private Partnership projects of the present administration. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Inflation was pulled down to 1.3 percent in January owing to the slower price adjustments in both food and non-food items, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said Friday. The latest number noted a decrease from the 2.4 percent in January 2015 and a slight slowdown from the 1.5 percent the previous month, as inflation for the food subgroup decreased following the stabilization of prices of fish, fruits, vegetables, milk, cheese, and eggs. “Good weather conditions at the onset of 2016 allowed prices of these food items to stabilize. This was an improvement from the previous month when Typhoon Nona pushed up prices due to hampered production, transport, and delivery of agricultural products in the affected areas,” newly-appointed Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Emmanuel F. Esguerra said in an emailed statement. January’s inflation figure was also in line with the central bank’s forecasted inflation range of 0.8 to 1.6 percent, exactly the same as the median forecast. In terms of non-food items, inflation likewise showed a deceleration across all commodity groups, with transport having the biggest change. “Domestic prices of petrol — gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), diesel, and gasoline — continued to go down. This was still due to persistent global oversupply Read More …

Liberal Party chairman President Benigno S. Aquino III attends the “Daang Matuwid: To Be Continued…” of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) at the Corazon C. Aquino Kalayaan Hall of the Club Filipino in San Juan City on Monday (October 05, 2015). Also in photo are LP Presidential Candidate former DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas II and wife Korina Sanchez-Roxas; LP Vice Presidential Candidate Camarines Sur 3rd District Representative Maria Leonor Robredo and daughters Jessica Marie and Janine Patricia Robredo. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — For hurling repeated criticisms against him, administration standard bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II on Friday said Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte appears to be his “number one fan.” Roxas said Duterte, his friend-turned-foe, has focused his campaign on targeting his character. “‘Yan ang number 1 fan ko eh. Wala na siyang nakita kung hindi si Mar Roxas,” he said. “Kami, [ang] pinag-uusapan namin saan kayo dadalhin,” Roxas added, touting how he plans to continue the “Daang Matuwid” program of President Benigno Aquino III, his fellow Liberal Party member. Duterte had claimed that Roxas had a nervous breakdown as Interior Secretary during Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) in 2013. The worst storm ever to make landfall, Yolanda hit the country on November 8, 2013, affecting over 1.4 million families and killing around 6,300 people. “Mar Roxas got the scare of his life during Yolanda,” Duterte said. “I was there on Day Two. Si Mar nagka-breakdown.” “I was there. I was talking to him. Nag-mo-monologue siya,” he said. “He Read More …

Coco Martin (MNS photo) Coco Martin revealed during the victory party of “Beauty and the Bestie” that there was a time when his friend Vice Ganda thought of quitting showbiz. Martin said this happened when the TV host-comedian was making showbiz headlines left and right. “Actually nung nag-uusap kami noon, nalulungkot ako para sa kanya kasi nararamdaman ko talaga na down siya. Sa mga kuwento niya sa akin, gusto na niyang bumitaw. Sabi niya, ‘Gusto ko na magpahinga, gusto ko mag-abroad, mag-shopping, magbakasyon kasama ang boyfriend ko,’” Martin shared. But Martin constantly reminded his co-star of all their hard work in reaching where they are today. “Nung mga taon na marami nang pumupuna sa kanya, down siya, sabi ko talaga sa kanya, ‘Huwag na huwag mong bibitawan itong trono mo. Nagsimula tayo sa wala. Pero sa pagkakataong ito, nandiyan ka na. Huwag mo hahayaan na mawala lang ito sa ‘yo ng basta-basta,’” he said. Martin credits “Beauty and the Bestie” for reigniting Vice Ganda’s enthusiasm for work. “Honestly sinasabi ko sa kanya ang mga bagay na ‘yun kasi gusto ko siya magising, gusto ko lumaban siya ulit. Nung papatapos na ang pelikula, nakikita ko na nabubuhay na siya ulit, ginaganahan. Kaya sabi ko bumalik na siya. May time lang talaga na down siya pero hindi talaga nagpatalo ang kabayo hanggang finish line, lumaban,” he said. Turning emotional, Vice Ganda said “Beauty and the Bestie” wouldn’t be a huge success if not for Martin and the rest of the cast and Read More …

(Paris–AFP) – A legendary 1950s Ferrari has fetched a world record 32 million euros ($35 million) at auction, going under the hammer in Paris. Applause broke out after the hammer ©scyther5/Shutterstock.com came down on the bidding for the 1957 335 S Spider Scaglietti at the Artcurial auction house just off the Champs-Elysees. In a sale that generated interest from around the world, the race car fetched 28 million euros plus premiums and taxes taking the overall price to just over 32 million euros. The Spider — which beat the record set in 2014 when a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold for what was the equivalent of 28.9 million euros — finished sixth in the Sebring 12 Hours race in 1957 and second in the Mille Miglia 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometre) road race in Italy. Thereafter the car was returned to the factory to have its engine size boosted from 3.6 to 4.1-litres — boosting power from 360 to 400 horsepower, allowing a top speed of 300 kilometres an hour (186 mph). The Ferrari enabled the Italian manufacturer to win the Constructors’ World Championship title in 1957. The identity of the purchaser of the Spider was not revealed following Friday’s deal but is US-based, according to Matthieu Lamoure, director general of Artcurial motorcars. “Clearly, we won’t soon forget,” Lamoure told journalists after the hammer came down on the record sale, bidding having started at 20 million euros. The sleek machine had belonged to the family collection of late French racing driver Pierre Bardinon, Read More …

California DREAM Loan Program More than 3,000 undocumented undergraduate students will have access to a system-wide student loan program for the first time as the University of California implements the California DREAM Loan Program it sponsored, UC President Janet Napolitano announced last Friday. The financial aid offices of UC’s nine undergraduate campuses will be reaching out to undocumented AB 540 undergraduates with offers of loan assistance through the program, now available for the 2015-2016 academic year. Under Assembly Bill 540, qualifying undocumented students are charged resident fees and exempted from out-of-state supplemental tuition. “By reducing barriers and expanding access to higher education for undocumented students, the University of California is investing not only in the future of these students, but also in the future of our state and nation,” said Napolitano. The DREAM loan program, proposed by Napolitano in 2014, was authorized that same year when the Legislature passed SB 1210, authored by state Sen. Ricardo Lara. Funding was not made available until this academic year. The initial $5 million for the California DREAM Program, equally funded by the University of California and state general funds appropriated to UC, will be distributed according to need across campuses. “The DREAM loan program will grow our college-educated workforce and make good on the promise that a college degree is possible for all hard-working, qualified California students regardless of their immigration status,” Lara said. Under current law, undocumented students who graduate from a California high school and meet the California DREAM Act requirements are eligible Read More …