Maniolas

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday said the informal meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and US President Barack Obama went well as the two leaders shared a “warm handshake and a good conversation.” Cayetano, who is part of the Philippine delegation to Laos, said “there is an effort from both sides to patch things up,” following the cancellation of their scheduled bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit. “In diplomacy, you do not usually go to the past and say, ‘bakit nangyari ‘yun (why did that happen).’ You can’t blame anyone. It won’t be productive. The Philippines and the US have a longstanding partnership [and] relationship. There will be bumps along the way… But it won’t hurt to have a popular President on our side,” Cayetano said in a statement. Palace officials said Duterte and Obama briefly met in holding room before proceeding to the banquet hall for a gala dinner at the regional summit on Wednesday. READ: Duterte, Obama briefly talk before ASEAN dinner Before leaving for Laos, Duterte said he will swear at Obama in the Asean summit if the US President would question him on human rights and extrajudicial killings. Duterte’s expletive-laced remarks against Obama, for which he eventually expressed regret, prompted the White House to cancel the planned meeting between the two last Tuesday. READ: Duterte voices regrets for insult on Obama In an open letter, Cayetano earlier asked Obama to “give the Philippines and Duterte a chance,” amid Read More …

VIENTIANE – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) must have a firmer commitment to stamp out the narcotics trade, terrorism and other cross-border crimes to ensure development in the region. President Rodrigo Duterte delivered this message on Tuesday night to senior business leaders during the Asean Business and Investment Summit, one of the related conferences being held on the sidelines of the three-day 29th Asean summit. Reading a prepared speech, the President underscored the importance of enhanced cooperation in curbing transnational crimes to enable the 10-member organization to “confidently play its rightful role as a global player contributing to the economic growth and prosperity.” Duterte, who earned global notoriety for his controversial take-no-prisoner policy against illegal drugs, deviated from his usual profanity-laced speeches as he urged business leaders to take a more active role in regional development. “The trade (of) illegal drugs, in particular, has emerged as a pressing problem for our countries undermining social cohesion and the rule of law and socio-economic program of a country,” the President said in his seven-minute speech. “Asean needs stronger resolve and action to combat transnational crime, one of the most difficult and complex problems that we face in the region and a pressing concern for the Philippines,” he told the gathering at Muong Thanh Luxury Hotel. READ: Asean leaders vow stronger regional cooperation Duterte, who caused international stir for his verbal outburst against US President Barack Obama before flying here on Monday, said terrorism would only stunt economic progress in the region Read More …

Mr. Roberto Mercado (5th from left) hands over the commemorative Mama Sita stamps to Mr. Ted Wilson (6th from left) of the Collections Department of the National Postal Museum on 15 August 2016. Commemorative stamps of the late Teresita “Mama Sita” Reyes, Filipino culinary icon, have been included in the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. A statement from the Philippine Embassy in Washington said a simple turnover ceremony, attended by embassy representatives, was held on Monday. The commemorative stamps were issued by the Philippine Postal Corporation to recognize Reyes’ influence on Philippine cuisine, in time for her birth centenary in 2017. Roberto Mercado, consultant and representative of the Mama Sita Foundation, which donated the commemorative items, said the stamps “signify the flavors that the Philippine cuisine offers as well as the country’s vision of sharing our biodiversity to the rest of the world.” “We love to have it,” Ted Wilson of the Postal Museum’s Collections Department was quoted saying. Mama Sita became an iconic figure in Philippine culinary arts for pioneering the use of special mixes and seasonings to enrich the flavor of Filipino food. CDG Mr. Ted Wilson (right) shows Mr. Roberto Mercado the Philippine stamps that were on display at the Postal Museum’s William H. Gross Stamp Gallery. RELATED STORIES Mama Sita’s brings PH flavors to the world’s most prestigious food expo – The 2014 SIAL Paris Photo exhibit pays tribute to Mama Sita, culinary pioneer   Latest DOLE admits it lacks means to detect illegal contracting practices Indonesian hostage escapes from Abu Read More …

LULL IN LIVELIHOOD Hundreds of fishermen in Subic town in Zambales have been frequenting the disputedScarborough Shoal to earn a living. They are eagerly awaiting a United Nations tribunal’s ruling on the territorialdispute between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea. ALLANMACATUNO/INQUIRER CENTRAL LUZON FILE PHOTO The Philippines might have won its arbitrated case on disputed areas in the South China Sea but it has yet to ensure the safety of its fishermen, at least based on the Department of Foreign Affairs’ advice for them to stay clear of areas where tension with China is still high. DFA spokesperson Charles Jose on Wednesday told reporters that the Permanent Court of Arbitration clearly declared Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) a common fishing ground. READ: Palace to fishermen: Sail with caution to Scarborough 
 However, he said the government still needs to discuss the issue with China, which has refused to recognize the arbitral tribunal’s ruling. Asked if the government is advising Filipino fishermen to stay clear of the disputed areas, he said, “Siguro yung muna ng mas para sa kaligtasan ng lahat (Perhaps we can do that for now for the safety of everyone.” His answer echoed that of Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza who said weeks ago that fishermen should exercise caution while local government units sort out guidelines and safeguards for their protection. Despite his advice, Jose insisted that fishermen have the right to fish in the area. “So as far as we are concerned malinaw Read More …

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, talks to Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, center, and Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) –China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, Monday, July 25, 2016. A highly anticipated meeting between Southeast Asian foreign ministers and their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi has begun in what is expected to be tense discussions on China’s territorial expansion in the South China Sea. AP Asean foreign ministers meeting in Vientiane reached a hard-fought consensus on the South China Sea issue and were able to “reset” ties with China, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said yesterday, as Asean put out a joint communique that referenced the maritime dispute. Speaking to the Singapore media on the sidelines of an annual series of meetings between the Asean ministers and their counterparts from regional dialogue partners, Balakrishnan said the event “gave us the opportunity to press the reset button and to set Asean-China relations back onto a more positive trajectory.” Contention among Asean member states over how to manage the South China Sea issue had threatened to derail the traditional joint communique issued at the end of each year’s Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. READ: Asean urges self-restraint in South China Sea activities China had pressured its Asean allies to stop the bloc from taking a common stand on the issue, following a July 12 Arbitral Tribunal ruling that invalidated its claims. The communique does not specifically mention the tribunal’s ruling. But it states, in Read More …