Maniolas

Student protesters hold a slogan denouncing the killing of 58 people, including at least 32 media workers, during a rally in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 21, 2010. Almost a year has past since Andal Ampatuan Jr., the scion of a powerful clan, was said to have led his men in killing 58 people, including 32 media workers, in southern Maguindanao province.(AP Photo/Aaron Favila) MANILA (AFP) – Islamic militants on Monday massacred 21 people, including one child, who were travelling to a village feast in the southern Philippines to mark the end of Ramadan, the military said. About 50 Abu Sayyaf gunmen opened fire on two vehicles in the remote town of Talipao on Jolo island, killing 21 people and wounding 11 others, regional military spokeswoman Marine Captain Rowena Muyuela told AFP. “These were villagers who were travelling to a designated area to celebrate Hari Raya,” she said, referring to the Muslim feast, also known as Eid al-Fitr, that ends Islam’s holy fasting month of Ramadan. A three-year-old boy and six policemen were among those killed in the attack, she said, while four other children were among the 11 wounded. Muyuela said the militants appeared to have targeted the policemen, also local Muslims, who were aboard the convoy and travelling to the festivities in their personal capacities. The shooting was the deadliest this year by the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf, which was founded in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network. The Read More …

Jacklyn Jose and Andi Eigenmann (MNS Photo) ACTRESS Jacklyn Jose shared how she was able to reconcile with her daughter Andi Eigenmann. In a recent interview, Jose said she called her daughter when her sister got sick in the United States. “I called her up and umiiyak ako. Worried na worried siya sa akin and sabi niya, ‘Mommy go, go and see your sister’. Tapos nagka-ayos na kami,” she said at a pocket press conference organized by her new management team, PPL Entertainment. The misunderstanding between the mother and daughter stemmed from Jose’s comments about Eigenmann’s relationship with Jake Ejercito. Jose said she has learned her lesson and vowed not to make similar remarks about the love life of her daughter in the future. “Hindi na mauulit. Wag na makialam sa love life ng may love life. Mabuti kung 13 or 14 yan, pero 24 na e. I respect her decisions. Kung mali or tama, respetuhin ko yun,” Jose said. The actress, meanwhile, said she has noticed a big change in the young actress since Eigenmann become a mother. “Nakita ko naman yung maturity. Nakita ko yung focus in life, yung meron siyang goal, may gusto siyang patunayan at meron siyang marating,” Jose said of her daughter who is raising her two-year-old daughter, Ellie, alone. She denied rumors that Eigenmann has become hardheaded and does not follow what she says. Jose said her daughter is a responsible adult, has a mind of her own and can give sound judgment on Read More …

A batch of 37 female overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) repatriated from Syria, arrive at 4 p.m. Friday (March 7) via EK 332. OWWA personnel and from Office of the Vice President (center photo) assist the returning OFWs upon their arrival at the Gate 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – As conflicts in the tumultuous regions of East Africa and the Middle East continue to rage, the Philippine government has begun imposing both partial and total bans on Filipino worker deployment in Kenya, Israel as well as the Gaza Strip and West Bank in Palestine, prohibiting newly hired overseas Filipino workers to be sent there. In one of the  advisories posted on its website, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration announced it has imposed a temporary ban on worker deployment to Kenya after the Department of Foreign Affairs hoisted Crisis Alert Level 2 in the East African country beset by security concerns. “The POEA Governing Board hereby resolves to impose a temporary suspension of the processing and deployment of newly hired OFWs to Kenya,” said the POEA Governing Board resolution NO. 16-2014 posted on its website. However, the POEA said the ban on deploying newly hired workers does not include those employed by the United Nations and its affiliate agencies. Under the Alert Level 2, the POEA would still allow the deployment of vacationing workers to Kenya. “The processing and deployment of vacationing and returning workers to the said country, subject to their Read More …

Philippine President Benigno Aquino (2nd L) greets lawmakers after making a speech during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the House of Representatives in Quezon City, Metro Manila July 22, 2013. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – House Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora has opted not to back the impeachment of President Benigno Aquino III, citing among other reasons, his scheduled kidney transplant because of his failing kidneys. Zamora will go under the knife on August 19, 2014. He told reporters that his kidneys are failing so he looked for donors early on. “I’m going through surgery. It will take me out for a month. I have a date. With my surgeons, it will be next month. That’s when everything come out for impeachment, budget, Bangsamoro. These are things I don’t want to miss,” he said. But before this, Zamora intends to deliver a Kontra-SONA or a rebuttal speech to the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). Zamora’s kidney transplant is partly why he won’t be supporting the impeachment complaints against Aquino that were filed by his colleagues in the minority bloc. “I have a personal problem. I will be absent from the House. I don’t want to be just signing an impeachment complaint forgetting I should be paying real attention to that. These are important reasons. My colleagues feel differently. Let’s see how the President or chosen defenders will defend himself,” he said. Zamora, however, concedes these issues have cast a shadow over the President’s SONA. “Makabayan Read More …

I have been saying this over and over again… that I feel blessed to have found my life partner and even more blessed to have been able to share the love with family and friends. It’s been about a week since that special day in scenic Mendocino Coast, California and my heart is still overflowing with wonderful memories from that weekend. For some of you who have seen the beautiful photos from last Sunday, I’m sure you will agree that one other thing that inspires my gratitude is the lovely weather we’ve been blessed with that day! There was slight drizzle as soon as Lester and I exited the church as Mr. & Mrs. Perkins. In our Filipino beliefs, that signals a blessing from heaven. But when it didn’t stop for the next 20 minutes or so, I started to worry. One of the reasons we chose the beautiful estate right next to the cliffs was because of the deck where we hoped to treat our guests with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. With the fog and mist, there wasn’t going to be anything to see. But as if on cue, as soon as the guests started arriving at the venue, the sky turned from gray to yellow and perfect blue hues. The sun came out showing all its glory over the dramatic cliffs and the mysterious ocean. Lester and I couldn’t believe our luck! We can now not just say; but fully affirm that Mendocino is indeed Read More …