Maniolas

A Filipino man leans on a wall as strong winds brought by Typhoon Hagupit slam Legazpi, Albay province, eastern Philippines on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014. Typhoon Hagupit slammed into the central Philippines’ east coast late Saturday, knocking out power and toppling trees in a region where 650,000 people have fled to safety, still haunted by the massive death and destruction wrought by a monster storm last year. AP/Aaron Favila MANILA, Philippines–As Typhoon Ruby (international name Hagupit) lashes the Philippines, 11 countries have already pledged to provide emergency assistance, military chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang said. In a press briefing Sunday, Catapang said the United States, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Canada, United Kingdom, Indonesia, Brunei, China, Malaysia and Thailand pledged to help the country in its relief and rehabilitation efforts. “These countries have signified their pledge to assist us,” Catapang said in the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council headquarters inside Camp Aguinaldo. He added that a team from the Philippine Air Force are in Borongan Airport to assess the situation in the area while Catarman Airport would be used as a temporary hub for C-130 planes to land. The C-130 planes would stay in Catarman for the immediate distribution of relief goods in Eastern Visayas, where Ruby was first felt. As of 10 a.m., Ruby was located at 20 kilometers east of Cataingan, Masbate and packing maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour and gusts of 170 kph. Ruby made its first landfall in Dolores, Samar on Saturday evening Read More …

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–Malacañang on Friday denied reports that Hong-Kong based journalists were barred from entering the Philippines for heckling President Benigno Aquino III in Indonesia last year. “According to Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Siegfred Mison, there is no such ‘blacklist’ of journalists who are denied entry to the Philippines on account of their actions during the Apec summit in Bali, Indonesia, last year,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement. Reports from news websites, such as the South China Morning Post, said the nine journalists were forced to return to Hong Kong after being denied entry. One of them, Now TV cameraman Eric Lee Kwok-keung, was given a letter from the airline he traveled with. The letter, published by SCMP, said the Office of the President requested that the nine be prevented from entering the country and from covering the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila for the “heckling of President Benigno S. Aquino III during the latter’s visit to Bali, Indonesia during the October last year CEO Summit.” But Coloma insisted that the “specific actions attributed to the journalists in the 2013 APEC summit, is not one of the grounds for denial of entry into the country.” He said the BI will verify from its records if indeed the cameraman was denied entry. “The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), which is the office that gives accreditation to international and Filipino journalists covering official government events, has not started the Read More …

By Marielle Medina |Inquirer Research 3:53 am | Sunday, October 12th, 2014 FAITH CAN’T WAIT Pope Francis, who is visiting the country in January, radiates such a charm that even a standee of his image is sooo “selfie”-worthy for these law students of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila shown taking a snapshot at the Arzobispado de Manila (Archdiocesan Chancery Office) in Intramuros. RICHARD REYES Ninety-five days leading up to the papal visit, the faithful are praying for Pope Francis’ good health and safety, especially during his visit to the country. Three out of every five prayers for Pope Francis submitted by readers to the Inquirer are prayers for the 77-year-old Pontiff’s continuous good health. The “Prayer for the Pope” feature is part of the Inquirer’s 100-day countdown to the papal visit to the country and as a response to Pope Francis’ tweet on his official Twitter account @Pontifex, “Please pray for me,” during the anniversary of his election as the 266th Bishop of Rome. The question: What is your prayer for the Pope? “Long, healthy life for our Pope Francis to serve the world and our God more,” Kathlyn Atienza said. “I pray for the good health, strength and constant guidance of the Holy Spirit for Pope Francis, as he is becoming an effective agent of transformation in the Catholic Church,” said Fr. Paul Arnel Lucero, SMM, from New Manila, Quezon City. “I pray that the Pope will always be healthy and be blessed by the Lord. May the Pope Read More …

Pope Francis. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–President Benigno Aquino III has ordered the creation of a committee that will coordinate preparations for Pope Francis’ visit in January 2015. In Memorandum Circular No. 72, Aquino created Papal Visit 2015-National Organizing Committee (PV-NOC). “As instructed by President Aquino, all heads of the different government departments, local governments as well as the private sectors are encouraged to participate and coordinate all efforts to make sure that the visit of His Holiness in our country next year will be well organized and peaceful,” Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said in a statement on Friday. The committee will be chaired by Ochoa, and vice-chaired by the Foreign Affairs Secretary. Among the members are the Secretaries of the Departments of National Defense, Interior and Local Government, Public Works and Highways, Health, Transportation and Communications, Tourism, the Presidential Communications Operations Office, Armed Forces Chief of Staff, National Police Chief, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman. It will coordinate the efforts of the public and private sectors, including the central committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, which will lead the religious and civil plans of the visit. Pope Francis is set to visit the victims of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” in Leyte and of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol. RELATED STORY PH peacekeepers new mission: Secure Pope Francis, APEC 2015 Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of INQUIRER.net. We reserve the Read More …

By Matikas Santos |INQUIRER.net 4:57 pm | Friday, September 12th, 2014 DFA Assistant Secretary and spokesman Charles Jose. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has assured the Chinese Foreign Ministry of the safety of Chinese nationals in the Philippines despite reported threats. “We would like to reiterate that the Department has reassured the Chinese Embassy of appropriate and necessary protection to guard against threats and prevent any violent incidents,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a statement Friday. “We have also reassured them that the appropriate Philippine authorities are fully investigating the group associated with the three suspects of the NAIA Terminal 3 incident on September 1, 2014,” he said. China published a security advisory on their Ministry of Foreign Affairs website Friday asking Chinese nationals not to travel to the Philippines because of threats. “Given that the safety situation in the Philippines is deteriorating, the consular service of the foreign ministry is asking Chinese nationals not to travel to the Philippines for the time being,” the security advisory said. A group had attempted to bomb NAIA Terminal 3 with incendiary devices. The airport was just one of their planned targets which include the Chinese Embassy, Chinese businesses, and a major mall. The group reportedly was not satisfied with the government’s steps in the country’s maritime dispute in the South China Sea with China. RELATED STORIES China issues travel warning for the Philippines Chinese teenager kidnapped in Zamboanga Sibugay Group behind Naia bomb try Read More …