Maniolas

Ambassador Gilles Garachon. AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–French Ambassador to the Philippines Gilles Garachon on Wednesday thanked the Philippines and the international community for standing with France following last week’s terrorist attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris that left 12 dead. In a tribute to the French victims held by the French embassy in Manila on Wednesday night, Garachon said that “everyone was Charlie,” and “children of the cartoonists” of the magazine, in reference to the French magazine which was attacked by Islamic gunmen in retaliation for its publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. To our feet Garachon said the Jan. 7 attack on the magazine has taught everyone the importance of freedom of speech and freedom, and that the magazine was attacked because those behind it wanted “silence to prevail.” “Those people wanted to bring us to our knees, but they brought us to our feet. The best answer is to stand all together for our values—the values of our democracy, freedom and freedom of speech,” Garachon said at the gathering held at Alliance Francaise office in Makati. “We are grateful to the international community and to all our friends who stand with us for our common values. It has been very warming for us to see this. We should not remain silent,” he said. Extra-careful The French ambassador told reporters that the French police were mobilized to provide maximum protection for French journalists and that they were all doing their best “to protect them.” Read More …

popular Free ‘Abadilla 5’ during Pope’s visit, Aquino urged Jihadist ‘eager for fame’ accidentally reveals Syria location on Twitter–report Pope Francis: Around PH without leaving Luneta altar Hanjin books $5B in sales in 5 years Turnoff from ‘Fun in PH’ reprised Grieving family haunted by AirAsia victim’s final birthday wish Chris Brown talent fee fully paid: ‘Don’t Wake Me Up’ AirAsia Flight QZ8501: Remains of stewardess Khairunisa in coffin 004 videos S. Korea hopes North is sincere with offer to improve relations How Portugal’s big waves are boosting the economy Devotees pin hopes on Black Nazarene Golden Globe menu unveiled Seoul says US sanctions on North over Sony attack ‘appropriate’ US EMBASSY. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The United States Embassy in Manila clarified Tuesday that the unmanned aerial vehicle or drone owned by the US Navy and found in Quezon province on Sunday afternoon was unarmed and was not used for surveillance. “The unarmed aerial target that was found off the coast of Patnanungan Islet on January 4, is an expended BQM-74E Aerial Target that was launched during naval exercise Valiant Shield 2014 which took place September 15-23 in the waters off Guam. The aerial target does not carry weapons and is not used for surveillance,” the US Embassy said in a statement. It said the drone was used by surface ships and aircraft during exercises to help train sailors in a realistic environment that provides the best possible training. “During the exercise, all aerial operations were conducted in international Read More …

VISITORS enjoy white water rafting down the Chico River TABUK CITY—Kalinga tourism brochures market the province as a destination for ink (indigenous tattooing), rafting (the Chico River white water rafting) and climbing (the province’s mountain vistas) that has attracted up to 40,000 visitors to Tabuk, one of the country’s youngest cities. This gradual improvement in tourism since 2001 has encouraged investors to develop a complementary hotel business for Tabuk, which became a city in 2007, having already been the province’s capital since the 1960s. Despite a 12-hour trip from Metro Manila, this city has served as the gateway to Kalinga’s myriad towns and cultures since its original settlers named it “Tobog,” or living stream. But tourism is a fairly new trade here. The province has been a major rice producer in the Cordillera region and Tabuk, for the most part, has had an agriculture-based economy, according to the city’s tourism development plan covering 2013 to 2016. For a time, the province also had to fend off a disparaging reputation for violence and conflict, due to accounts of bitter feuds among tribes or clans that took place decades ago. “Kalinga used to be described by outsiders as a violent community, but people who made the effort to visit Tabuk have been returning again and again once they realized that this characterization of the province was not true,” said Ben Chan, owner of the Grand Zion Garden Resort and Hotel, which opened in 2009. Chan, one of the city’s big investors, said Read More …