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COMEDIAN Vice Ganda renewed his contract with television network ABS-CBN. The contract signing was held Monday afternoon and was attended by ABS-CBN Chairman Gabby Lopez, President and CEO Charo Santos-Concio, Broadcast head Cory Vidanes, TV Production head Laurenti Dyogi and Dreamscape Business Unit Head Deo Endrinal. The “Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy” lead star is likely to continue his weekend program “Gandang Gabi Vice” and noon time variety show “It’s Showtime.” (Sunnex) DISCLAIMER: Sun.Star website welcomes friendly debate, but comments posted on this site do not necessary reflect the views of the Sun.Star management and its affiliates. Sun.Star reserves the right to delete, reproduce or modify comments posted here without notice. Posts that are inappropriate will automatically be deleted. Forum rules: Do not use obscenity. Some words have been banned. Stick to the topic. Do not veer away from the discussion. Be coherent and respectful. Do not shout or use CAPITAL LETTERS!

US and Philippine Marines simulate an amphibious landing as part of RP-US Amphibious Landing Exercise on a beach in the Philippines. AFP FILE PHOTO The temporary deployment of US forces in Zamboanga City to help the Philippines fight terrorism is now in its 12th year. A top military official in Zamboanga City has confirmed that American soldiers remained in the city, Basilan and other parts of western Mindanao. The deployment started in 2002, with the US military shuffling the members of its contingent here to prolong its presence, the official said. “[The] US troops never left,” Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, told reporters.   Firearms training “They remain to provide technical support and training such as in the use of firearms and other techniques,” Guerrero said. The government buys firearms from the United States but Filipino troops need training in handling those weapons, he said. “They have the expertise and we learn from them,” Guerrero said. The Inquirer recently saw two American soldiers aboard a vessel—apparently coming from patrolling the seas off Tabiawan in Isabela town, Basilan province. Guerrero said the US forces also trained Filipino troops in civil-military affairs. “And they conduct humanitarian missions. They have been doing great things,” he added. Temporary presence Guerrero said even if it was taking the US military longer to leave, “they are here not for permanent basing. It’s a temporary presence.” As to how long the temporary presence would last, Guerrero appeared to be uncertain. “Personally, I Read More …

A new study suggests that eating a Mediterranean diet can not only protect your heart but fend off type 2 diabetes as well.© Goran Bogicevic/shutterstock.com (Relaxnews) – A new study finds that even if you don’t lose weight or boost exercise, following a Mediterranean diet can help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. In the Spanish study, people at risk for heart disease who followed a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and fats from nuts or olive oil were about 30 percent less likely to develop diabetes over a four-year period than those who ate a low-fat diet. The research was a subanalysis of last year’s influential PREDIMED study, involving 7,447 subjects at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Researchers from Universidad de Navarra found that subjects who ate a Mediterranean diet had a 30 percent greater reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from cardiovascular disease than those who ate a low-fat diet. The new paper, published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at the development of diabetes among 3,541 subjects who didn’t have diabetes at the beginning of the study. Even just adding olive oil to your diet resulted in a health boost, the study suggests. Participants who added fats from extra-virgin olive oil were 40 percent less likely to develop diabetes during the study compared with those who followed a low-fat diet. Recent evidence from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston also found that middle-aged women who Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – Cigarette manufacturer Mighty Corp. has paid an excise tax of P8 billion for the year 2013, a quantum leap from the modest P300 million it shelled out the previous year. Oscar Barrientos, Mighty Corp. executive vice president said the tax payment for last year should put to rest false accusations that their company has not been paying its correct duties and taxes. “The tax we paid for the year 2013  reflects the jump in our market share and our fair share in the increased taxes on “sin” products during last year,” said Barrientos, a retired regional trial court (RTC) judge. He pointed out that despite charges in the news media and by some members of Congress against the company for non-payment of taxes, no case has been filed in court. In fact, Barrientos pointed out, the BIR and the Bureau of Customs have cleared his company of any tax deficiency until February of this year. The company paid P300 million in 2012, the former judge explained, when its share of the local market of cigarette was a measly three percent. However, their market share shot up since the government put into effect Republic Act 10352, otherwise known as the new sin tax law. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The said law has synchronized a five-year adjustment of taxes on cigarettes for it to become a uniform P30 per pack in five years, covering all brands. BIR records shows that excise taxes from both cigarettes Read More …

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 3:03 pm | Tuesday, January 7th, 2014 A young boy waits at the side of the road for fresh water surrounded by debris from Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban, central Philippines. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – Citing the devastation caused by Supertyphoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) in the central Philippines, a British travel website has included the country on its list of top 10 countries to visit in 2014. “In the wake of the terrible devastation wreaked by Typhoon Haiyan, tourism has become even more important to the Philippines, bringing crucial support to the economy,” Roughguides.com said in its feature article. “An estimated 97 percent of the country remains unaffected, including Boracay and the southern parts of Cebu,” it said. Yolanda cut a wide swath of destruction across the Visayas region in November last year, destroying cities and entire provinces particularly Leyte and Samar. Popular tourism destinations such as the island of Cebu and Coron in Palawan were also battered by Yolanda’s angry winds and storm surges. Roughguides praised the Philippines for its reefs, volcanoes and rice terraces but noted also the continuing insurgencies from rebel groups in the Mindanao region. “Though the Philippines boasts a dazzling array of pristine reefs, volcanoes, sleepy backpacker islands and the famed rice terraces, the country mostly remains off the beaten path,” it said. “Despite being relatively safe for travelers – flare-ups of political violence (mainly in Mindanao) are easily avoided,” it noted. The rebel group Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Read More …