Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang has expressed serious concern anew over China’s reported massive “reclamation activities” in disputed areas in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea), affirming the Department of Foreign Affairs’ claim that Beijing has been accelerating its expansionist agenda in the region. Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma asserted on Sunday such activities “should not have been taking place since the maritime entitlement claims of countries (including the Philippines and China) have yet to be resolved.” Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam also have claims in the West Philippine Sea. Speaking during the weekly “Pilipinas, Pilipinas” public affairs program over the state-run Radyo ng Bayan, Coloma also pointed out that the same activities have complicated disputes over the archipelago. They also ran contrary to Manila’s call for a peaceful settlement of maritime disputes in the area, he said. Coloma, also head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, reiterated the government’s repeated call for a legally binding “Code of Conduct” to settle the long-raging disputes peacefully. The Philippines and some other countries in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean are pushing for the approval of the code to replace the non-binding 2002 Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. President Aquino had told a recent forum with foreign correspondents that the Chinese-reclaimed land in the disputed waters, if used militarily, could be a “game changer” in the future settlement of disputes. Aquino also said the Philippines has been seeking an internationally recognized settlement of the Read More …

The early Christians dug caves into the soft rocks of Cappadocia and constructed chapels, monasteries and underground cities. Photos By Tina Arceo-Dumlao Turkey, which straddles the continents of Asia and Europe, is home to the second most number of mentioned places in the Bible, next only to the Holy Land of Israel. This fact is lost, however, on most Filipinos who are in the market for pilgrimage tours. Nevertheless, the Philippines, where over 85 percent of the population of about 100 million profess to be Catholic, presents a potentially lucrative market for Istanbul-based D’Archo Travel founded by travel industry veterans Dogan Senay and Aysel Eroskay. D’Archo Travel has thus made it its mission this year to strengthen its presence in the Philippines, in partnership with local pilgrimage tour specialist Larry’s Classic Tours, and market Turkey as a top-of-mind destination for those who want to see some of the places mentioned in the Bible. “[We are] investing in the Philippines because Turkey is not widely known as the second most important biblical land in the world,” Eroskay told the Inquirer. “Our goal is to present Turkey as a new pilgrimage destination, particularly to those who have visited the Holy Land many times. The Philippines has the largest potential for Catholic pilgrimage tours.” Visitors today flock to these caves to marvel at the paintings. There is certainly a huge room for growth. Data from the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies showed that tourist arrivals in Turkey increased from 31.782 million in 2012 Read More …

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese-born American geologist was released from prison in China after serving more than eight years on charges of procuring state secrets, a human rights group said Saturday. Xue Feng returned to his family in Houston, Texas, on Friday after being deported immediately following his release, the San Francisco-based Dui Hua foundation said. BENJINA, Indonesia (AP) — At first the men filtered in, by twos and threes, hearing whispers of a possible rescue. Then, as the news rippled around the island, hundreds of weathered former and current slaves streamed out, many with long, greasy hair and tattoos. They came from trawlers and villages, even out of the jungle, running toward what they had only dreamed of for years: Freedom. PANAJI, India (AP) — Indian police arrested four people Friday following a federal government minister’s complaint that a niche boutique in the southwestern resort of Goa had a closed-circuit TV looking into a changing room where she was trying out clothes. Police officer Umesh Gaonkar said the four boutique employees face charges of insulting a woman and outraging her modesty, which carry a maximum prison sentence of two years. They will be formally charged in a court at the end of the police investigation. SAN PEDRO CUTUD, Philippines (AP) — Screaming in pain, Filipino devotees had themselves nailed to wooden crosses to mimic the suffering of Jesus Christ on Good Friday in Asia’s largest Roman Catholic nation. Church leaders have spoken against the annual practice mixing Catholic devotion Read More …

Megan Young: Sana I learn more. I want to learn to be a deeper actor, a more natural actor. Those are my baby steps. Contibuted photo MANILA, Philippines – Should Binibining Pilipinas 2015 fan favorite Winwyn Marquez join this year’s Miss World Philippines? Miss World 2013 Megan Young, who recently signed a one year exclusive contract with GMA-7, said the fellow Kapuso artist should “go for it”—but only if she really wants to join. It can be remembered that Winwyn failed to win one of the five titles at the recently-concluded Bb. Pilipinas 2015 pageant despite being an early favorite to win the competition. “If she wants to, why not. I say go for it. But only if she wants to. Kailangan nasa puso mo yan na sasali ka,” she told members of the press during the contract signing with GMA-7 recently. READ: Megan Young signs with GMA-7 As for her sister fellow GMA-7 artist Lauren Young? Megan said her younger sister has no interest in joining any beauty pageants. Megan revealed their mother has been encouraging Lauren to follow her beauty queen footsteps. “Kahit sino mag-encourage, aayaw siya,” Megan said. “Ayaw niya talaga, e. Sorry guys.” She added, “It’s not her thing lang. Ganun lang ka-simple yun. Ayaw niya lang mag-pageant.”  The 25-year-old beauty queen said she has “a very good feeling about” her signing an exclusive contract with GMA-7.  She wants to improve as an “artist”—particularly as an actress and a host. Her first project with GMA-7 is Read More …

This May 11, 2007 file photo shows a Wall Street sign in front of the flag-draped facade of the New York Stock Exchange. US stocks are edging higher Thursday, April 2, 2015, as the market shakes off two days of losses. AP US stocks moved higher in early trading Thursday, rebounding after a two-day slide. The government said that applications for unemployment aid fell sharply last week, a sign that the U.S. job market remains strong despite tepid economic growth this year. Oil prices eased after climbing the day before. KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 100 points, or 0.6 percent, to 17,798 as of 10:09 a.m. Eastern. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index added 10 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,069. The Nasdaq composite gained 14 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,894. BACK TO WORK: The Labor Department said applications for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to a seasonally adjusted 268,000. The decrease is a sign of a strong job market despite evidence of tepid economic growth in the opening months of 2015. MIND THE GAP: The Commerce Department said that the nation’s trade deficit plummeted 16.9 percent to $35.4 billion in February. The trade gap fell as imports and exports sank, driven by a since-settled trade dispute and a global economic slowdown that has cut into oil prices and caused the dollar to rise in value. EARNINGS AHEAD: Investors have been weighing mixed economic data this week in advance of the next round of corporate Read More …