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108 PH peacekeepers in Liberia test negative for Ebola

 News
Nov 082014
 
108 PH peacekeepers in Liberia test negative for Ebola

popular Mar Roxas gets social media flak for magazine cover ‘Grateful we’re still here’ Steve Nash addresses criticism over golf video Palace: Aquino admin not ‘ruthless’ vs critics Aquino only listens to ‘voices in his head’—‘Yolanda’ survivors Hopkins bout mirrors Pacquiao’s Sharon Cuneta: I’ve my mother’s face, arms, skin, clavicles NBI: Raided shabu lab also made cheaper drugs videos Good Yolanda versus Bad Yolanda Ed Rompal: The visual artist Remembering ‘Yolanda’ Happiest Yolanda survivor: “That’s just the way I am” Mangroves can serve as protective wall against a storm like Yolanda UN Filipino peacekeepers. FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Filipino peacekeepers assigned in Liberia can now return to the country after passing the Ebola screening test, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Sunday. Colonel Roberto Ancan, Commanding Officer of the Peacekeeping Operations Center, said he has received the results of the screening test for the 108 peacekeepers. Despite passing the medical test, which is required before they can be repatriated, the peacekeepers will still need to be quarantined in Caballo Island for 21 days after their arrival. The group is expected to arrive in the country on November 11. The military said the peacekeepers will be provided with recreational facilities, in addition to medical facilities, during the quarantine period. Liberia is one of the three countries in Africa with the most number of Ebola cases. It has the largest number of deaths caused by the virus, 2697 out of the 4818 as of November 2. RELATED STORIES PH peacekeepers from Read More …

SC to call for oral arguments on Edca ‘soon’

 News
Oct 152014
 
SC to call for oral arguments on Edca ‘soon’

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said the Supreme Court will soon call for an oral argument over questions about the legality of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca). “We will be issuing a ruling very soon. We are going to have an oral argument,” Sereno said Thursday during the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) forum at Marco Polo Hotel in Ortigas. The government has said that President Benigno Aquino III entered into the agreement with the US because it was his constitutional duty to protect the State as its commander-in-chief. “The President, through the DND (Department of National Defense), entered into the Edca to perform his primary constitutional duty to promote national security interests. Under Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution, the President, as head of State and chief representative of government, has the “prime duty to serve and protect the people,” read the pleading. “The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which is constitutionally designated as “the protector of the people and the State,” said the nine-member OSG panel on the case led by Acting Solicitor General Florin Hilbay. Hilbay said the President also approved the Edca to implement pre-existing treaties, including the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the Visiting Forces Agreement. “What the EDCA does is to enhance the existing contractual security apparatus between the Philippines and the US, set up through the MDT and the VFA. It is the duty of the Honorable Read More …

PCGG: Marcos paintings belong to Filipino people

 General
Oct 152014
 
PCGG: Marcos paintings belong to Filipino people

By Jeannette I. Andrade |Philippine Daily Inquirer 7:12 am | Thursday, October 16th, 2014 This file photo taken on June 7, 2007 shows former first lady Imelda Marcos is seen in her apartment in Manila with a gallery of paintings including a Picasso, seen at upper right. AFP FILE PHOTO/ROMEO GACAD MANILA, Philippines–The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) on Wednesday clarified that the agency created to recover the ill-gotten wealth of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and the 9,539 rights abuse victims of the Marcos dictatorship were on different paths as far as the Marcos assets are concerned. In an interview, PCGG Chair Andres Bautista explained that the PCGG was running after the ill-gotten assets of Marcos and his family while the claimants and its lawyers were after the Marcos estate—and the two are apparently not the same. Bautista stressed the agency has nothing against the rights abuse victims of the Marcos regime and that he fully supports the idea that they should be compensated. “[However,] ill-gotten wealth belongs to the Filipino people. So any ill-gotten wealth we recover should go to the government from where it was taken,” he said in an interview. $2-billion award The agency was responding to an Inquirer special report on the Marcos paintings (Oct. 12 and 13) in which the victims’ lawyer, Robert Swift, said the PCGG had no claim to the Marcos artworks, which the victims have been pursuing to collect on a $2-billion award from a Hawaii court that found the Read More …

Laswitan’s visual poetry

 News
Oct 112014
 
Laswitan’s visual poetry

By Romel M. Oribe | 7:15 am | Sunday, October 12th, 2014 THE FALLS of Laswitan. CATHE DUERO/CONTRIBUTOR CORTES, Surigao del Sur–When the waves stop in fury as they hit the rocks, that’s when the magic of Laswitan begins. Everything is the handiwork of wave behavior, a detailed choreography only nature can orchestrate: A ground swell and increasing wind speed create a wave and, as it nears the shore, the crest rushes ahead of the base and begins to lean forward. The wave eventually topples over and hammers solid rocks, penetrating their crevices and creating an exquisite water curtain and an exploding wall of foam. But like most visions of absolute beauty, this rare facet of Laswitan is evanescent. Laswitan is in Barangay Madrilenio, some 37 kilometers from Tandag City, the provincial capital. It comes from the Visayan word “laswit,” meaning to cause something (either liquid or a viscous substance) to spurt or spit out. Laswitan is a place where things squirt. Facing the Pacific Ocean, Laswitan is an intertidal zone that offers a complex environment for tourists: solid rocks, stony cliffs, platforms, boulder fields and tidal pools. The natural jacuzzis come in different shapes, hues and depths. Clean, clear and calming, these are never stagnant, as the tide regularly fills them with new seawater. And the way these pools are designed makes one think that maybe, the fairies asked the gods to put up a rock wall wide and tall enough to shield them, as they go prancing about Read More …

Pagudpud resort cited as best tourist destination

 News
Oct 112014
 
Pagudpud resort cited as best tourist destination

7:00 am | Sunday, October 12th, 2014 Screengrab from http://hannahsbeachresort.com.ph/ MANILA, Philippines–A nonprofit organization in the United States has chosen Hannah’s Beach Resort and Convention Center in Pagudpud town, Ilocos Norte province, as its 2014 most outstanding tourist destination in the Philippines. Gawad Amerika Foundation (GAF), a group of US-based Filipinos that is supported by different American nonprofit groups, said “the success and remarkable achievements of Hannah’s Beach Resort, locally and internationally, have been recognized not only by this organization but most of all by the local community.” The notice of award was sent to Ricardo L. Nolasco Jr., owner of Hannah’s Beach Resort and Convention Center, in a letter dated Aug. 4. In a statement, Hannah quoted GAF founder Charles Simbulan as saying the awarding ceremony, Gawad Amerika Awards Night, would be held at Celebrity Center in Hollywood, California, next month where Hannah would be given the tourist destination award. GAF was organized in 1996 and is based in California. Follow Us Other Stories: Filipinos’ prayer for Pope Francis: Good health, guidance Bibliophile meets British Romeo Insights from a San Francisco sabbatical Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Short URL: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/?p=112341 Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or Read More …

Taiwan insurer buys 20% of RCBC for P18B

 General
Oct 012014
 
Taiwan insurer buys 20% of RCBC for P18B

Philippine Daily Inquirer 7:47 am | Thursday, October 2nd, 2014 RCBC Plaza. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–Cathay Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Taiwan’s largest life insurer, is buying a 20-percent stake in Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. for P17.92 billion, boosting the local bank’s capital build-up program. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, RCBC also said it was shelving its planned P4.5-billion stock rights offering as its board had selected Cathay Life as the “preferred bidder” for a mix of primary and secondary shares in RCBC. The Taiwanese insurer is buying about 280 million shares of RCBC at P64 a share, of which 124.34 million will be primary common shares. This primary portion will raise P7.96 billion in fresh capital, boosting RCBC’s common equity tier 1 capital under Basel 3 framework from 10.9 percent to P13.5 percent. Basel 3 introduces a complex package of reforms designed to improve the ability of banks to absorb losses. It also extends the coverage of financial risks and puts in place stronger firewalls against periods of stress. RCBC is now working on a definitive agreement with Cathay Life, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Financial Holding Co. Ltd., which is the largest publicly listed financial holding company in Taiwan, and a leading provider of financial products with a 50-year history. Out of this relationship with Cathay Financial, RCBC expects to derive significant value-add in the following areas: capital, consumer banking, wealth management, digital banking, corporate relationships across Cathay Financial’s network across Read More …

OFWs in Hong Kong told to stay away from protests

 News
Sep 302014
 
OFWs in Hong Kong told to stay away from protests

By Kristine Angeli Sabillo |INQUIRER.net 1:29 pm | Tuesday, September 30th, 2014 A police car is blocked by protesters after thousands of people block a main road to the financial central district outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Tuesday reiterated the government’s call for Filipinos to steer clear of the massive protests in Hong Kong. “Kung maaaring umiwas sila sa paglahok sa mga aksyon na yan at magfocus na lang sa kanilang gawain (If it is possible for them to stay away from the protest actions there and focus instead on their work),” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a Palace briefing. Thousands of Hong Kong residents conduct rallies in the city calling for genuine democracy. RELATED STORIES DFA: No Filipinos hurt, involved in Hong Kong protests Hong Kong protest spreads to new site across harbor Hong Kong protests turn festive Follow Us Other Stories: Malaysia pulls out offensive video German Chancellor Merkel backs PH stance on China row US to pay for Tubbataha damage ‘very soon’ Index ranks Japan Asia’s most efficient innovator Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Short URL: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/?p=111840 Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact Read More …

Football legend Joe Montana visits kids in SF neighborhood

 General
Sep 292014
 
Football legend Joe Montana visits kids in SF neighborhood

Montana and Conway surrounded by kids served by United Playaz and West Bay Multi-Service Center. PHOTO BY JUN NUCUM SAN FRANCISCO — After a series of violent incidents prompted a peace march by residents of the South of the Market Area (SoMA), the kids in the neighborhood got a morale booster with a rare visit from football legend Joe Montana. The National Football League Hall of Fame quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers himself, brightened up the United Playaz (UP) center where he was welcomed by officials, mentors and excited star-struck kids of the UP and West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center. Nicknamed at Mr. Cool and master of come-from-behind victories who led the 49ers to four Super Bowl wins, including the consecutive ones in 1989 and 1990, Montana was named Super Bowl Most Valuable Player three times during his career. Another visitor joined Montana–technology startup giant Ron Conway to give the kids a pep talk as they seek the right path in their lives. “A legend in football, Joe Montana, and Ron Conway, a billionaire in technology business, are speaking to the kids to inspire them and let them know to tell how to be champions in life,” explained an all fired up Rudy Corpuz, United Playaz executive director. “And we thank the biggest gangster in the world, God, who set it all up so we were able to invite and have them here.” Easy to convince Corpuz, a Filipino, said his group did not have a hard time convincing Read More …

Aquino didn’t snub Filipinos in US—Palace

 General
Sep 282014
 
Aquino didn’t snub Filipinos in US—Palace

By Kristine Angeli Sabillo |INQUIRER.net 2:59 pm | Sunday, September 28th, 2014 President Benigno Aquino III talks to reporters during an interview in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014. AP MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Sunday denied accusations that President Benigno Aquino III deliberately snubbed a Filipino community in California during his trip to the United States last week. “LA (Los Angeles) was not in the itinerary from the start,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. told INQUIRER.net. Coloma was reacting to media reports that the Filipino-American community in Los Angeles was upset that Aquino did not take time to visit them despite dropping by a gun shop and a hamburger restaurant in San Francisco, also in California. He said Aquino spent most of his short time in San Francisco meeting with business leaders. “During the short period of time his plane was in San Francisco, the President met with leaders of two multinational companies on entertainment and banking who expressed interest in investing or expanding their current participation in the robust economy of our country,” Coloma explained. The Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (Facla) told TFC’s “Balitang America” that they have long been trying to invite Aquino to their Facla Hall, which was one of the last places his father, the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., visited before he was assassinated. But Coloma said he was not aware of any plan for Aquino to visit Los Angeles. “We ask for their understanding. The President’s itinerary was quite hectic: Read More …

Filipino fisher rescued off Taiwan after being adrift for 9 days

 News
Sep 242014
 
Filipino fisher rescued off Taiwan after being adrift for 9 days

By Aries Joseph Hegina |INQUIRER.net 1:12 pm | Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino fisherman was rescued by Taiwan coast guard near Kaohsiung after being adrift at sea for nine days. In an article published by the Taiwan Central News Agency Tuesday, Edralin Sabilisima was found by a supply ship helmed by officers of the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration 635 nautical miles south of Kaohsiung, Taiwan early this month. When he was found, Sabilisima was dehydrated and has not eaten for three days. He also said that he survived only from eating fish and drinking rainwater. The Taiwan coast guard took Sabilisima aboard the supply ship where he was treated by a doctor. The fisherman said that he came from Babuyan Group of Islands, an archipelago north of Luzon. Sabilisima was referred to the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei.RELATED STORY Taiwan coast guard rescues 3 Filipino fishermen Follow Us Other Stories: Aquino heckled at Columbia University NY mayor names Fil-Am startup founder city’s first chief tech officer 506 Filipinos become US citizens in Los Angeles Aquino at UN Climate Summit: PH bears brunt of climate change impacts Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Short URL: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/?p=111611 Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article Read More …

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