Maniolas

Senators’ photo gallery: Senate’s Public Relations and Information Bureau(PRIB) photographers display photographs of Senators at the Senate photo gallery in preparation for the opening of 17th Congress on Monday, July 25.(PNA photo by Avito C.Dalan) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday vowed to fast-track the passage of a measure that would grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to address the traffic problem in the country that she said has already “paralyzed our economy and our people.” Poe was elected Tuesday as chair of the Senate committee on public services. “A Senate bill for such emergency powers has been assigned to the public services committee that I will chair and the best course of action is to set it for public hearing as soon as possible so we can engage the Department of Transportation and all other stakeholders and experts to determine its necessity and if so the best terms under which such powers will have to be carried out to achieve its purpose,” Poe said in a statement. The senator was reacting to House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s bill or the “Traffic Crisis Act,” which seeks to grant emergency powers to Duterte for two years to do away with the mandatory bidding on procurement of transportation equipment and take over errant transport franchises to solve the traffic mess on roads and airports in Metro Manila and Cebu. The bill also proposes the creation of a “superbody” that would address the road and air traffic congestion in Metro Manila and Read More …

Researchers based in the USA have developed a compound that may prevent the development of epilepsy. After being tested on mice, the compound could soon be brought to human trials. The protective effect of this new compound was observed up to 100 days post-treatment.© diego_cervo/Istock.com Scientists from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center have developed a compound that blocks the hyper-excitability of neurons in epileptic mice. Until now, epilepsy drugs have targeted symptoms such as seizures, without halting the deterioration of dendritic spines, structures that allow brain cells to communicate. “In epilepsy, these structures are damaged and rewire incorrectly, creating brain circuits that are hyper-connected and prone to seizures, an important example of pathological plasticity,” the researchers explain. The protective effect of this new compound — which can notably prevent seizures — was observed up to 100 days post-treatment. This suggests that the development of epilepsy may have been halted. The compound was tested on mice and could soon be trialed on human patients. Epilepsy is a neurological condition which sees the normal pattern of brain activity become disturbed. It has a range of symptoms, including seizures, which can prevent sufferers from living normal lives. It can also cause strange sensations and behavior, such as olfactory or auditory hallucinations, loss of consciousness, muscle spasms, staring spells and more. The findings were published in the journal Nature. The study is available here: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep30298   if/hc/cb – Relaxnews

By Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan President Rodrigo R. Duterte warns that he will not allow any hindrance to programs that will uplift the lives of the Filipinos, during his first State of the Nation Address at Batasang Pambansa on July 25. (MNS photo) MANILA (PNA) – President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that he will make use of the entire government resources to fight the war against illegal drugs. “In this quest I’ll put at stake my honor, my life and my presidency itself. There will be no let up in this campaign . Double your efforts. Triple them, if need be. We will not stop until the last drug lord, the last financier, and the last pusher have surrendered or put behind bars, or below the ground, if they so wish, ” Duterte said in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA). The Chief Executive also said that he would support all the way the Philippine National Police (PNP) to eliminate illegal drugs in the country. “To police officers, or PNP officials, do your job and you will have unwavering support of Office of President, I will be with you all the way,” he noted. However, Duterte warned police official and local officials not to abuse their authority. “Abuse your authority, and there will be a hell to pay, for you will have become worse than criminality itself. I order Napolcom to conduct investigation and adjudication of administrative cases involved in criminal activities and illegal activities and prescribe Read More …

DOL representatives and Consul General of the Philippines renew its partnership to promote worker’s rights. Left to right: Américo Pagán, assistant regional administrator cooperative and state programs, Occupational Safety and Health Administration; Atlanta, Emilio T. Fernandez, Consul General of the Philippines, District of Columbia; and Sung Kim Chu, assistant district director, Wage and Hour Division, Atlanta. The Embassy of the Philippines and U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have renewed its partnership to promote worker’s rights at a signing ceremony in the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Building in Atlanta. Sung Kim Chu, assistant district director, Wage and Hour Division, Atlanta, Américo Pagán, assistant regional administrator cooperative and state programs, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Atlanta, and Emilio T. Fernandez, Consul General of the Philippines, District of Columbia represented their agencies at the signing. The agreement renewed a collaborative partnership with the Philippines to provide information, guidance and access to education and training resources for Filipino nationals working in Georgia. The consular section of the Philippine Embassy in the District of Columbia and the department’s district and area offices will work together to develop ways of communicating information to both workers and employers to make them aware of the rights and responsibilities of all parties under the OSH Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, H-2A and H-2B programs. According to assistant district director, Sung Kim Chu of the Wage and Hour Division, “the agreement allows for a collaborative effort to deliver education and training on the laws enforced by the Wage Read More …

Vilma Santos (MNS Photo) Congresswoman Vilma Santos has come out in strong support of her son Luis Manzano after the television host received harsh criticism over his admission that he is dating actress Jessy Mendiola. “Naniniwala ako sa anak ko na sa edad niya ay kaya na niyang dalhin ang sarli niya,” the “Star of All Seasons” said, adding that the allegations that Manzano cheated on his former girlfriend, actress Angel Locsin, with Mendiola will soon pass. “They [Manzano and Mendiola] are mature enough to handle such situations,” Santos explained. “It is just napi-piyesta lang masyado. That’s why I was telling them to be calm, relax lang kayo, huwag nang patol ng patol. Lalagpas din iyan.” Manzano, three months after confirming his split with Locsin, told the media that he and Mendiola have started going out. It was in response to a report claiming that they are already a couple, and after photos of them on a movie date surfaced. As the news broke, fans of Locsin were quick to assert that the former “Maria Mercedes” star was the third party in the high-profile breakup—a claim Manzano vehemently denied. Responding to the rumors, Santos insisted that there is nothing wrong with her son dating Mendiola, and said that she believes him when he said that he did not cheat on Locsin. Santos also managed a laugh when asked about her thoughts on her son’s taste in women. With Mendiola, Manzano has now dated three actresses who were named “sexiest” in Read More …