He speaks as if he has not failed his own people. He talks as if he had taken good care of their needs. How many else are like him who has put self and ego above community? READ FULL STORY
Sep 152013
Planet Philippines
Sep 042013
Janet “Jenny” Luy Lim had always dreamed of being rich. The only daughter in a brood of 5, she grew up in Metro Manila until her father Johnny Lim, a Chinese Filipino, died in 1970. READ FULL STORY (See related story) PHOTO – Janet Lim-Napoles turns herself in. (PNP photo)
Aug 252013
Whether they come in large or small amounts, pork barrel allocations have generated a lot of controversy since they were first introduced in the Philippines in 1922. In 1925, Senate Minority Leader Juan Sumulong charged that the ruling party had “misused public funds in the form of pork barrel appropriations.” READ FULL STORY
Jul 282013
Macau — Philippine boxing great Manny Pacquiao is harboring thoughts of running for president in his beloved homeland when he finally hangs up his gloves, he revealed to Agence France-Presse in an exclusive interview. Giving his strongest hint yet that he will push to the top of the political tree when he finally retires from the ring, the “Pacman” — a hero and congressman in his home country — admitted he had considered the presidency of the 95 million-strong nation. When pressed on whether he had thought about shooting for the top job, the softly-spoken 34-year-old replied “Yes”. Drawing parallels between his pugilism and politics careers, the former world champion in eight weight divisions said: “When I started boxing, of course I was planning… and thinking about getting to become a champion. So when I entered politics it’s the same thing. “But, you know, it’s far away,” he said, adding: “It’s God’s will.” Before that, however, Pacquiao whose record stands at 54 wins, five losses and two draws, must concentrate on his latest bout — a post breakfast-time tear-up with US fighter Brandon Rios, kicking off at the Venetian resort-hotel in Macau at 10:00 a.m. on November 24. The unconventional start time is for the benefit of the lucrative US pay-per-view audience, who will be settling down to watch the fight mid-evening on Saturday, as top US promoter Bob Arum attempts to elbow his way into the China market. And viewers will not be oblivious to the fact that it Read More …
Jul 212013
When President Benigno Aquino III gathered his Cabinet secretaries to discuss the 2014 budget on July 8, the meeting took all of 10 hours. But he still wasn’t satisfied. Aquino wanted details. He wanted answers. And he wanted numbers. READ FULL STORY
Jul 072013
Let nature take its course and find its way to you with these 10 green patches around Manila–all natural, healthy, and pocket-friendly, but most of all, they’re refreshing alternatives for your next weekend outing. READ FULL STORY PHOTO: Paco Park
Jun 302013
By Cherie del Rio All-time Favorite Love Team on Movies and TV — this description of the Richard Gomez-Dawn Zulueta tandem is not without basis. They have a roster of movies and television projects as well as a massive fan base to prove it, and best of all, they carry the title as a legitimate award. The onscreen tandem was recently crowned as such in the recently concluded 44th Box Office Entertainment Awards of the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation, Inc. In the face of hugely popular love teams from the younger generation, such as Kim Chiu & Xian Lim and John Lloyd Cruz & Sarah Geronimo, it came as a bit of a shock that a “mature” couple surfaced and stole a bit of the showbiz spotlight. In the Philippine industry, budding love teams of teenyboppers usually take center stage (for instance, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla). When the popular 90s tandem of Richard and Dawn bounced back on a Kapamilya teleserye, audiences were happily surprised that the former real-life lovers still had the magic. And it seems that this magic will continue. After their successful team-up last year in the soap Walang Hanggan, Richard and Dawn will reunite for two movies and another soap opera in the next two years. “Then there is another movie that we’re working on,” Dawn disclosed in a recent interview, “which will be coming out for release naman next year.” Dawn says that she feels as though she and Richard are classmates — Read More …
Jun 252013
Robbie Antonio’s new house in Manila, designed by renowned architect Rem Koolhaas, will be filled with portraits of himself, by world-class artists such as Julian Schnabel, Marilyn Minter, and David Salle. Is the 36-year-old real-estate developer a patron, an egomaniac, or both? READ FULL STORY PHOTO: Robbie Antonio next to a Kenny Scharf painting, one of the many portraits he has commissioned of himself.
Jun 242013
From the early 1900s to the 1960s, Escolta was the country’s premier shopping mecca. With the emergence of the commercial and business districts of Makati and Quezon City, the prestige of Escolta gradually faded. READ FULL STORY
Jun 182013
Friday night last week, it seemed everyone who owns a TV set was glued on the final airing of the Channel 2 teleserye, “Ina, Kapatid, Anak” directed by Don M. Cuaresma and Jojo A. Saguin. READ FULL STORY