Urban decay threatens hot PHL economy

 Entertainment
Oct 142014
 
Urban decay threatens hot PHL economy

By Joel Guinto (BALI, Indonesia) President Benigno S. Aquino III exchanges views with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during the Opening Session the 7th Bali Democracy Forum at the Nusantara Hall II of the Bali International Convention Center on Friday (October 10). The gathering is an annual, intergovernmental forum on the development of democracy in the Asia-Pacific region. (MNS photo) MANILA (AFP) – Manila’s creaking train network means a miserable three-hour work commute for salesman Gerard Galang – just one example of major infrastructure woes that analysts say threaten to cool the Philippines’ red-hot economy. Peak-hour hell comes in many forms in the city of 12 million people, with commuters experiencing a sweaty, stinky crush on dilapidated trains and giant queues to buy tickets. “I pity myself and my fellow commuters but I don’t have any other option than the train,” said Galang, 29, who inhales antiseptic rubbed on to his hands to help negate the stench on the train. “It gets so crowded our faces get pressed against each other and on doors and windows.” Galang spends three hours commuting to work every day, half of which is spent in queues. For other commuters on buses or in cars, daily gridlock worsens to a complete standstill that can trap people for hours when even small rain storms trigger flash floods. The Philippine economy has in recent years shed its reputation as one of Asia’s laggards, with growth of 6.4 percent in the second quarter maintaining its status as the Read More …

Key elements of a sponsorship application

 Entertainment
Oct 142014
 
Key elements of a sponsorship application

By Atty. Henry Moyal Q. I was born in Canada and want to sponsor a woman from the Philippines that I met online. We married last year in Las Vegas. I have never sponsored anyone before and do not know what to do. What do I need to know so this goes smoothly? A. Assuming you are eligible to sponsor, the next issue is to determine if you will be successful. There is a big difference between eligibility and ultimate outcome. You may be eligible but it does not mean you will be successful. Immigration officer must determine that the marriage is genuine. Meeting online is common place in today’s tech world but visa officers may also be suspicious of such relationships especially if there are age gaps, cultural differences etc…It is therefore important to document the file as much as possible to support the relationship. Conversely, even if the marriage is genuine, a sponsor may be ineligible for several reasons. For example: Sponsors cannot sponsor if: 1. They are permanent residents subject to a removal order – this includes stayed orders, departure orders, exclusion orders and deportation orders. 2. They are detained in any penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison 3. They are convicted of a sexual offence under the Criminal Code (against anyone); or an offence (against the person) under the Criminal Code against a family member  Sponsors or co-signers convicted of either of these offences where five years have not passed since the completion of the sentence imposed 4. They are in default Read More …

De Lima to Binay: No such thing as immunity from probe

 Entertainment
Oct 142014
 
De Lima to Binay: No such thing as immunity from probe

Vice President Jejomar Binay as he receives the Ninoy Aquino Medal of Valor from Ninoy Aquino Movement Chairman Heherson Alvarez during the 31st death anniversary of the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on Thursday (August 21, 2014) in Pasay City. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – There are impeachable officials who may only be removed from office through impeachment proceedings, and there may be immunity from suit, but there is no such thing as immunity from investigation. This was stressed by Justice Secretary Leila De Lima in the wake of criticisms from the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) against her pronouncements that she may order the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate allegations against UNA stalwart Vice-President Jejomar Binay, members of his family, and other individuals implicated in the Binays’ alleged pocketing of public funds through rigged Makati City projects. Due to the gravity of the allegations against the Binays, and considering that public funds are involved, De Lima said it may be difficult for the country’s premier investigative agency to turn a blind eye on the issue considering that the bureau’s core mandate is precisely that: to investigate. “There is no such thing as immunity from investigation. There is an immunity form suit, may mga impeachable officials na they can only be removed through impeachment, but it doesn’t mean na hindi na po sila pwede imbestigahan. Pwede mag-positive, pwede mag-negative. Kung positive, depende din if it will fall under the grounds Read More …

The buzz on Boy Abunda’s near date with death

 Entertainment
Oct 132014
 
The buzz on Boy Abunda’s near date with death

Man of the hour:  “It’s about time I spent more time with my loved ones,” says Boy Abunda.   A visibly leaner Boy Abunda greets me with a big smile, like a friend from a distant past, as I walk into the waiting room where he’s killing time before the start of an informal round-table conference that would launch him as the newest celebrity ambassador of TechnoMarine, the Geneva-based watch brand known for its timeless timepieces. As the torrential rain continues to pour outside, the King of Talk talks about how he weathered what was probably the biggest storm in his life.  “It’s really funny that it had to take a 16-day ordeal in the hospital for me to realize how important time was,” Boy muses aloud. He quickly adds, “It’s something I knew from the very beginning, but I never took it seriously. I didn’t know how important time was, how important it was to spend time with your family, with yourself, with your friends. Before, right after the Aquino and Abunda Tonight, which would finish by 10:20 p.m., I would still have three meetings — I would do negotiations, contracts, production meetings.” It was probably the loudest buzz in tinseltown: Boy Abunda’s near date with death. Not seeing him for a long time in his TV shows, some people were even quick to “kill” him. “They said I died of colon cancer or I had HIV (the AIDS virus),” says an unamused Boy. So, how did Boy deal Read More …

Ser Chief practises family planning: Two are enough

 Entertainment
Oct 132014
 
Ser Chief practises family planning: Two are enough

Richard ‘Ser Chief/Papa Chen’ Yap with Lester Pimentel Ong (one of his business partners) at Wangfu Chinese Bistro which is celebrating its first anniversary. Right: With his wife Melody and their children Ashley and Dylan in the Manulife commercial.     Until end of November when the phenomenal hit Kapamilya soap Be Careful With My Heart closes, Richard Yap and leading lady Jodi Santamaria will have to shoot more episodes. Only then can Richard, fondly called worldwide (thanks to The Filipino Channel) either Ser Chief (his character) or Papa Chen, make up for missed opportunities to spend more time with family and friends. He has been keeping a hectic (read: punishing) schedule, admitted Richard sans regrets. After all, the soap turned him into a superstar beyond his wildest dream. “For the first year and a half,” said Richard over lunch during the first-anniversary celebration of Wangfu (at the corner of Tomas Morato Avenue and Roces Avenue Quezon City), one of the restaurants he co-owns with two friends, “we would shoot five days a week. Early this year, the schedule was medyo lighter. But since we are finishing episodes for the show’s ending, we are back to five-days-a-week shoot.” On the side, Richard manages to shoot for The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin (with Vice Ganda reprising his role in an earlier movie) which is Star Cinema’s entry in this December’s Metro Filmfest. So what did Richard miss during those very-busy days? Entertainment ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 “Siempre, the Read More …

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