Maniolas

An MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft takes off from the flight deck of the USS Bonhomme Richard during aviation operations exercises in the East China Sea, April 23, 2014. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam D. Wainwright MANILA (Mabuhay) — A lawmaker wants the House of Representatives to probe into the alleged US spying operations in the Philippines through the National Security Agency’s MYSTIC program. In a resolution, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon urged the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Information and Communications Technology to conduct a joint congressional inquiry to investigate and ascertain the scope of MYSTIC. Online publication The Intercept, which releases whistleblower and fugitive Edward Snowden’s leaks, claimed the MYSTIC collects “metadata” from mobile networks in countries such as the Philippines, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Kenya. “All told, the NSA is using MYSTIC to gather personal data on mobile calls placed in countries with a combined population of more than 250 million people,” The Intercept said. One of the leaked documents that pertain to MYSTIC also exposed that the program serves as “legitimate commercial services for telcos” while covertly doing “signal intelligence.” Ridon speculated that the country’s own National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is involved in MYSTIC’s operations. “Given the information from Snowden’s documents, it is possible that the NTC has given express approval for the embedding of the MYSTIC program in the country’s telecommunications systems,” he said. “With the possible involvement of the NTC, and the advanced capability of the MYSTIC program, Read More …

What keeps Sarah Geronimo happy…

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) plans to implement an automated ticketing system by 2015 to make fare collection more organized and stop freeloading passengers from taking advantage of the present system in place. Above photo shows MRT passengers who are more likely to have paid their fares prior to boarding the train. MANILA (Mabuhay) – Commuters said removing Metro Rail Transit 3 General Manager Al Vitangcol III is not enough, adding he should be punished for the alleged large-scale corruption and mismanagement in the MRT system. “Vitangcol should also be held accountable for failing to solve the train system’s major problems. The priority he gave to the MRT’s contract with big capitalists for the train system’s maintenance has made every train ride a hell for us commuters. He allowed the hellish reign of private contractors over the MRT’s maintenance instead of pushing for decisive government intervention,” said the Riles Laan sa Sambayanan (Riles) Network. The group fears the firing of Vitangcol was to protect him of any accountability in the alleged extortion attempt of Czech firm Inekon for the supply of MRT coaches. Vitangcol was sacked on the heels of new allegations that he awarded a maintenance contract to a relative in 2012. On Monday, The Philippine Star reported that Vitangcol, in his capacity as MRT general manager, awarded a P517 million maintenance contract to a joint venture of PH Trams and CB&T in October 2012. Arturo Soriano, the uncle of Vitangcol’s wife, is one of six incorporator-directors of PH Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – As part of National Heritage Month, Juvenal Sansó, one of the country’s most renowned visual artists belonging to the Modernist School of Philippine art, holds his biannual authentication session on June 5, from 3 to 6 pm at Galerie Stephanie, at Unit 1B, Parc Plaza Bldg, 183 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Libis, Quezon City. This is Sanso’s way of meeting his collectors and assuring them directly of the authenticity of the artworks in their possession. It is also the artist’s way of showing his thanks to people who have expressed appreciation for his art and a way to help in the campaign against fakes and forgeries. During Sanso’s authentication sessions, the artist not only attests to the authenticity of the artwork but can give some information on the style, background and influences of his various artworks to the collector. Sansó is a Presidential Medal of Merit Awardee. He also has medals of honor or knighthoods from Spain with the King’s Cross of Isabella and a chevalier rank from the French government for his outstanding accomplishments in art. For information, call 709-1488.

Job seekers search through available work and fill up forms during a job fair in Manila. The country’s unemployment rate jumped to a three-year high 7.5 percent in April, the statistics office said on Tuesday, despite a 7.8 percent annual GDP growth in the first quarter, the fastest pace in Asia. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Another employee of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has chosen to leave the Philippines for a better paying job abroad. Philippine Weathermen Employees Association (PWEA) president Ramon Agustin said PAGASA weather observer 3 Christopher Galang is set to leave this coming June to work for the Qatar Bureau of Meteorology as an airport weather observer. Agustin said Galang, who has been with the state weather bureau for over 20 years already, will join three other PAGASA employees in Qatar where the salary for a weatherman is said to be five to seven times bigger than what is being offered here. PAGASA weather forecasters Bernie De Leon and Ralph Ricahuerta, and communications engineer Ralph Suquila resigned last week to work at the same agency. Agustin said De Leon and Ricahuerta will both work as airport forecasters while Suquila will serve as a communications specialist. Agustin said better pay and working conditions forced the PAGASA employees to leave the country. He said PAGASA has about 800 employees but only 13 of them are weather forecasters. He said the resigned employees are a huge loss to PAGASA. He said De Leon was the Read More …