Maniolas

President Benigno S. Aquino III converses with His Eminence Charles Maung Bo, Papal Legate and Archbishop of Yangon and the Pontifical delegation during a courtesy call in Malacanang Monday (February 1). The Papal Legate and his delegation is in Manila after the successful celebration of International Eucharist in Cebu. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday defended the multi-billion peso budget allocated for the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, saying every peso spent for over 7.7 million Filipinos already lifted out of poverty is “worth it.” “Merong mga nagsasabi na imbestigahan daw ang Pantawid Pamilya at napakalaki ng gastusin, palagay ko naman na tayong mas nakararami at bukas ang pag-i-isip, sasabihin na yung naitalang 7.7 million Filipinos na nakaalpas na sa kahirapan sa tulong ng 4Ps, talagang sulit ang bawat pisong inilaan natin sa programa,” Aquino said. The President made the statement during the 65th anniversary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which implements the said flagship anti-poverty program of the government. The government increased the 2016 budget for the CCT, or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), to P62.7 billion to cover 4.6 million households. The government’s official web portal defines the 4Ps as “a human development measure of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and the education of children aged 0-18.” The program is patterned after the CCT schemes in Latin American and African countries, which the Read More …

The camp of Senator Grace Poe asked the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday (Dec. 28, 2015) to stop the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that disqualified her to run in the 2016 presidential polls. Poe, through her legal counsel, Atty. George Garcia (in left photo), filed the petition for certiorari and urgent motion for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Comelec decision. One of the two petitions filed by Poe’s camp challenged the Comelec First Division ruling while the second petition assailed the Comelec Second Division ruling. Poe’s camp also asked the SC to issue a status quo ante order (SQAO) against the Comelec ruling in order that the name of Poe would still be included in the ballot for the 2016 elections. Photo at right shows Poe’s supporters urging the Comelec to allow the lady senator to run for president in the May 2016 polls. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – The Commission on Elections started its arguments before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, stressing its jurisdiction to cancel the certificate of candidacy for president of Senator Grace Poe. Commissioner Rowena Guanzon opened the Comelec’s case with the poll body’s power to cancel Poe’s COC after the senator’s camp argued over the past two weeks that it was beyond the Comelec to disqualify the senator from the presidential elections in May. “The Comelec has jurisdiction to cancel the certificate of candidacy of the petitioner in this case under its constitutional mandate or broad powers Read More …

Current obesity medication can reduce women’s appetite but may not tap into brain signals regulating energy expenditure and physical activity.©gilaxia/Istock.com (Relaxnews) – A new study has found that men and women might not be on equal ground when it comes to losing weight. Researchers at the Universities of Aberdeen and Cambridge in the UK, and Michigan in the USA have pinpointed the behavior of certain hormones, produced in the brain, which could make weight loss more difficult for women. World Health Organization data shows that there are more obese women than men worldwide, with up to twice as many obese women than men in some parts of the world. Dr Lora Heisler and colleagues from the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health sought to understand why women put on weight more easily than men and why they find weight loss more of a challenge. While the scientists succeeded in making obese, sedentary male mice lose weight, the same effect couldn’t be replicated in female mice. “What we have discovered is that the part of the brain that has a significant influence on how we use the calories that we eat is wired differently in males and females,” explains Dr Luk Burke. More precisely, the hormones responsible for regulating appetite, physical activity, energy expenditure and weight loss produced in this part of the brain — called pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) peptides — have been found to behave differently in men and women. The researchers were able to modulate the appetite of female mice Read More …

Yassi Pressman and Andre Paras (MNS photo) Many on-screen partners become entangled romantically in real life, but not Yassi Pressman and Andre Paras. The two have worked together on several projects, including “Diary Ng Panget,” “Wang Fam,” and their newest movie together “Girlfriend For Hire.” – and while they find each other attractive, too – they remain friends, nothing more and nothing less. Like what many of the young stars say these days, the focus is on career. “We’re focusing on work. What’s good about it is maganda ’yung feedback ng mga fans kasi as artists, we really want to entertain people. I’m really happy they love it. Sa pagka-develop (sa isa’t-isa), wala pa kasi we’re focused on our work muna,” Andre said at the press conference of “Girlfriend For Hire.” Yassi said their busy schedules keep love at bay. While she sees Andre as “gwapo, matangkad, mabait” she said, “Mahirap po kasi sa schedule namin ngayon. So sa work lang kami nagkakasama. Minsan pumupunta siya kasama ’yung friends ko. Pero hindi siya ’yung every day na kailangan naming mag-spend ng time together kasi grabe din ‘yung (taping schedule ng) soap niya at events namin.” The Viva artist said she is “in love” but with family and work, not with any man. After going through a heartbreak before, Yassi has become more cautious in falling in love and having a relationship. “Mahirap ma-in love. Na-in love na ako dati nang grabe kaya po kailangan na bago ka mag-desisyon na ma-i-in-love Read More …

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan visit the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños Laguna on Friday (January 29) the last day of their five-day official visit to the Philippines. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – The Japanese imperial couple’s visit to the Philippines will strengthen Philippines’ diplomatic ties with Japan and lead to economic opportunities for both countries, an official said. Philippine Ambassador to Japan, Manuel Lopez said the Philippine state visit, a first for Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in over five decades, shows a deepening of ties between the two Asian nations. The ambassador said the announcement of the visit initially came as a surprise, noting the Japanese emperor and empress rarely travel and the Philippine government is up against many other invitations for the couple sent by various countries. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan visit the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños Laguna on Friday (January 29) the last day of their five-day official visit to the Philippines. (MNS photo) “Since a few years ago we’ve been trying to work on the imperial royal family but we were only focusing on the crown prince because the emperor and empress hardly travels… When we were told a few months ago that it’s now the emperor and the empress coming to the Philippines we could not believe it, we were surprised,” said Lopez. Lopez acknowledged a “natural progression of relationship” between Japan and the Philippines, with “foreign direct investments from Japan going Read More …