Maniolas

In this photo taken on March 12, 2013, employees at the giant Solaire Resort and Casino Manila practice at gaming tables ahead of the opening on March 16, 2013. Solaire Manila Resorts is the first of four enormous entertainment venues slated to rise over a giant chunk of prime, reclaimed land that industry and government leaders expect will attract millions of cashed-up Asian tourists. ©AFP PHOTO / Jay DIRECTO Manila, Philippines | AFP | – The owner of the Philippines’ first mega-casino on Friday said its second-quarter profits halved amid an industry wide slump that could threaten the country’s bid to become a top gaming destination. Travelers International Hotel Group, operator of Resorts World Manila, said net income for the April to June period fell 46.78 percent from a year earlier to 619.04 million pesos ($13.4 million) as gaming revenues declined. The results, which missed the 1.39 billion pesos analyst forecast compiled by Bloomberg News, come after rivals also reported disappointing results due to a slump in Chinese visitors and rising costs. Travelers’ first-half net profit fell 18 percent to 2.36 billion pesos, after surging over the same period last year, the company said in a stock exchange filing. “The outlook on the casino industry is negative. The mass market is not growing as fast as everyone expected,” Angping and Associates Securities research chief Jose Rafael Supangco told AFP. Bloomberry Resorts, owner of the Solaire casino, said Thursday it swung into the red in the second quarter due to higher Read More …

Vice President Jejomar Binay delivers his speech during the launching of the United Nationalist Alliance as a political party on Wednesday at the Makati Coliseum. Binay lambasted the Aquino administration anew and promised alternatives offered by his party. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Office of the Vice President (OVP) downplayed the survey conducted by the Makati Business Club (MBC) showing it is the worst performing agency this year. In a statement on Friday, OVP media affairs head Joey Salgado stressed that their office serves poor Filipinos and not the rich members of the MBC. “Kung hindi nila naramdaman ang serbisyo ng OVP, ito ay dahil may kakayanan silang magpagamot sa mga mamahaling ospital dito sa Pilipinas at sa ibang bansa. Ang marami nating kababayan, wala. Kapag sila ang may problemang ligal, kayang magbayad ng mga miyembro ng MBC ng mga mamahaling abugado. Ang mga OFWs natin at ang kanilang mga pamilya, walang ganitong kakayanan,” he said. According to Salgado, the 67 businessmen who gave a negative score to the OVP, putting the office in the last spot among 64 government agencies, cannot represent the sentiment of the people nationwide. “They cannot be expected to give a true and objective assessment of the performance of all government agencies, most especially the OVP,” he said, adding that that some MBC members have “long-held biases” against Vice President Jejomar Binay and his family. The executive director of MBC was also among those present at Club Filipino when Binay’s political rival, Interior and Read More …

Marlon Garcia of Smartmatic Corporation shows the use of a Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) headquarters in Manila on Tuesday. Use of the PCOS in the 2016 elections is still up in the air after the Supreme Court voided Comelec’s maintenance contract with Smartmatic last April. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – About P8 billion will be spent for the lease of more than 93,000 optical mark reader (OMR) machines for the 2016 elections. The lease contract was awarded to Smartmatic, the same technology provider for the 2010 and 2013 polls. National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) member and former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Gus Lagman alleged Smartmatic appears to have a monopoly over providing machines for Philippine elections. But Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Smartmatic won the bidding for the contract fair and square. “Lahat yan dumaan sa bidding, and in all the biddings that we conducted, those were open biddings,” Jimenez said. “Unfortunately, the quality of participation kinda fell short of actually becoming competitive. Ultimately, what does that result in? It results in only one bidder being left and the only bidder left was Smartmatic,” he said. “Perhaps the feeling is that it’s going to be rigged. It’s Smartmatic anyway,” said Lagman. The Comelec said existing precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines will be refurbished for the 2019 elections. But Lagman pointed out this could have been done as early as 2014. “Smartmatic is obligated to train Comelec personnel on Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – Last July 23, Sanuk Philippines in collaboration with Res|Toe|Run held a special event to commemorate the launch of the Fall/Winter collection headlined by the evolution of the Classic Sidewalk Surfer. The Sidewalk Surfer has been an iconic style for the Sanuk brand since its inception in the early 2000s. The Cavalier Collection draws inspiration from the street crossed with some European styling. The Alphie is the sophisticated woman’s take on the classic Sidewalk Surfer. The new Alphie Collection is launching exclusively through Res|Toe|Run and will be available in select stores across the country. Res|Toe|Run has been a strong player in the retail footwear space since 2006 and has made its name introducing “rare finds” into the local market. What were once unknown brands such as Native Shoes, Fitflop, DC and Sanuk started and grew with Res|Toe|Run making them the ideal partner in introducing The Alphie collection in the country.

With temperatures reaching triple digits, SCE reminds customers to stay as cool and safe as possible By Caroline Aoyagi-Stom Southern California Edison (SCE) reminds customers to stay as cool and safe as possible during excessive heat days. Southern California Edison  – It’s about to get a lot hotter in Southern California. The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch for the area starting Friday. Relief from the triple-digit temperatures is not expected until early next week. San Bernardino and Riverside counties and the Inland Empire are forecast to be hit the hardest with temperatures reaching as high as 110 to 117 degrees. Southern California Edison (SCE) reminds customers to stay as cool and safe as possible and to avoid heat-related injuries during excessive heat days. “Our No.1 priority is to help keep our customers safe,” said Don Neal, SCE director of Corporate Environmental, Health and Safety. “We encourage customers to keep outdoor activities to a minimum and drink plenty of water during the hottest parts of the day.” SCE also offers a variety of programs to help keep electricity bills down, including the  Save Power Day and Summer Discount Plan programs. When a Save Power Day is called, customers can earn up to $100 in bill credits per year for conserving energy between 2-6 p.m. To sign up for the Save Power Day program, go to: sce.com/spd. Customers can select how they would like to be notified, either by phone, email or text. Enrollees in SCE’s Summer Discount Plan can receive bill credits of up to $200 by allowing their central air Read More …