Maniolas

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. with Ambassador Roberto Romulo (standing, L), Ramon del Rosario, Jr., President and CEO of Philippine Investment Management, Inc. and PHINMA Corporation (seated, L), and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario at the 2015 Asia CEO Awards on 11 November 2015 at the Marriott Hotel in Manila. (Photo courtesy of Rose Silva). WASHINGTON, D.C. – In recognition of excellence in leadership, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. was conferred the Lifetime Contributor Award (public sector) by the Asia CEO Forum on 11 November 2015 at the Marriott Hotel in Manila. Each year, the Asia CEO Awards recognizes extraordinary leaders and leadership teams who have demonstrated outstanding achievement for their organizations and contributions to their fields. In his acceptance speech, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. thanked the organization for the award. “I am deeply humbled to be receiving the Lifetime Contributor Award. I offer my sincerest appreciation to the Asia CEO Forum, represented by Mr. Richard Mills and the board of judges, for this tremendous honor. I also wish to congratulate my fellow awardees for their sterling achievements,” said Ambassador Cuisia. He described his entry into the diplomatic world as a milestone in his professional journey and talked about the unique responsibility of every Philippine Ambassador to the United States to harness the potential of the 3.4 million-strong Filipino-American community. “I never imagined I would ever become a diplomat. For this, I have President Aquino and Foreign Affairs Secretary Del Rosario to thank for entrusting me with Read More …

#APEChotties, featuring Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto, makes it to top three trending topics on Twitter.

FIL-AM MEDIA BAND & FRIENDS: From left, Ana Mendoza, Mat Relox, Mon Concepcion, Nikki Arriola, Christy Rosacia, Malou Toler, Joy Macainan, Joevel “Nukie” Santiago, Jr., Andy Tecson, Roy Cuchado and Abner Galino. LOS ANGELES – Filipino-American media groups here have banded together to honor the memory of the 32 journalists killed in the Ampatuan massacre, the worst single attack on the press. On Nov. 22, members of the media will hold a concert and photo exhibit at the Celebrity Centre International in Los Angeles. The event will feature Original Pilipino Music (OPM) icon Florante, local celebrity musicians and the newly formed Fil-Am Media Band. The concert, titled ABAKADA: Children Helping Children, will also highlight the youth band Back2Jupiter, who will dedicate their performances to the orphans of the slain journalists. “ABAKADA is the title of Florante’s popular song promoting the value of education,” said Benny Uy, public relations officer of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)-US Chapter, producer of the show. “It’s also a fitting title because this project will help us support the education of the orphans of slain journalists.” The concert date – Nov.22 – which is Nov. 23 in Philippine time zone, marks the sixth year after the attack that claimed the lives of 58 people, 32 of them journalists, in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao province in Southern Philippines. None of the suspects have been convicted of the crime. International media groups, including the New York-based watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Read More …

Presidential candidate Grace Poe, her running mate Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, and veteran lawyer Lorna Kapunan (extreme left), acknowledge crowd after the tandem endorse Kapunan’s senatorial bid on Friday (Oct. 23) at the Balay Kalinaw in UP-Diliman, Quezon City. (MNS photo) With fingers pointing in different directions at the Senate inquiry into the “tanim-bala” extortion racket in airports, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero wants the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to clarify their exact roles in airport security. The senator made the call as some 9,000 APEC delegates and members of foreign media descend on Manila for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit this week. “The government is spending some P10 billion to host this major trade meeting and project the strength of the Philippine economy – we can’t possibly let a few bullets finding their way into random bags ruin the good image we’re building here,” said Escudero, an independent vice-presidential candidate and frontrunner in surveys. He said the country cannot afford to be lax amid terror threats in other parts of the world, citing what appeared to be coordinated attacks on different venues in Paris last week that killed at least 129 people. “The MIAA and OTS should know by this time what each agency’s role is in airport security, so that we know who to look for when problems arise,” he said. Escudero wants the OTS, in particular, to explain a recent memorandum it issued that effectively creates an “airport security organization in Read More …

Representatives of the Makabayan bloc led by Rep. Neri Colmenares link arms with Sen. Grace Poe and Sen. Chiz Escudero during a solidarity event at the Quezon City Sports Club on Thursday. The group declared support for Team Galing at Puso in the 2016 election.(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – It’s business as usual for Senator Grace Poe, who is set to visit the province of Laguna on Tuesday, the same day the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) is scheduled to decide on the disqualification case filed against her over her citizenship. Poe and her running mate Senator Francis Escudero will visit the province along with their five senatorial bets – Representatives Sherwin Gatchalian and Roman Romulo, Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, lawyer Lorna Kapunan and Susan “Toots” Ople. Based on the media advisory sent to reporters this Monday, Poe’s team will have consultations with various sectors in Calamba, Laguna, on Tuesday morning and another consultation with students of the Perpetual Help University in Biñan, Laguna, in the afternoon. There will also be a press conference scheduled at 11 a.m. While Poe is visiting the province, the 9-member SET will decide on the case filed against her. The senator earlier said that while she is nervous and sad on how the tribunal would decide on her case, this would not stop her from doing what she has to do for the people. “Syempre kailangan tuloy naman pero mas maganda sana kung mas maresolbabahan ito sa lalong madaling panahon,” she said in an Read More …