MORE REGIONAL hospital upgrades will be added to the project pipeline of the public-private partnership (PPP) program before the administration of President Benigno S. C. Aquino III ends in 2016, the program’s executive director said on Friday.
MANILA, Philippines – Amid bleak news of an impending power shortage this summer (and the years to come), Philips’ MayMagagawaKa campaign was recently launched to shed light on how Filipinos can start saving energy now. “A power outage can be catastrophic for the economy,” said Fabia Tetteroo-Bueno, country manager of Philips Philippines. “We lose the comfort of our homes and the stability of livelihood and business. It will impact all sectors — consequently, it will take the unified efforts of all these sectors to prevent it from happening in the future.” Jointly organized by Philips, Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG) Bank, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines, and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), the MayMagagawaKa campaign seeks to raise awareness and build urgency on energy conservation in the country. The campaign comes on the heels of the Malampaya maintenance shutdown, which left a 700-megawatt void in the local power grid and renewed the mounting calls for energy conservation in the country. “When it comes to power interruptions, it affects the quality of power and disrupts business,” said Henry Schumacher, executive vice president of ECCP. “It is hoped that the measures undertaken by the private sector in joining the Interruptible Load Program (ILP), implementing energy savings, and energy efficiency investments will avoid power outages this summer.” The ILP program is a proposed set of contingency measures to manage electrical consumption amid the Malampaya shutdown, including the use of generators as an alternative power source for private Read More …
Hundreds of nurses arrive at the Araneta coliseum in Manila, 02 October 2007 to attend official oath taking ceremonies after passing the June 2007 government licensure examination, where 31,275 successful examinees from the more than 64,000 passed the tests conducted nationwide. Last year’s scandal tainted examination resulted in the massive retake for examinees to qualify for US Visa. Filipino nurses are in high demand in the US. AFP PHOTO/ROMEO GACAD (Photo credit should read ROMEO GACAD/AFP/Getty Images) MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday belied reports that four Filipino nurses were abducted by armed men in Sirte, Libya. At a press briefing, Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose branded as “false” the supposed kidnapping incident involving the Filipino health workers. “The four were not actually not kidnapped. They were taken from their accommodation to a safer place,” Jose told a press briefing. “Our embassy was able to talk to one of they and they said they are safe so the report is false,” he added. (MNS)
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima did not ascribe criminal liability to President Benigno Aquino III over the botched January 25 Mamasapano operation, Malacañang claimed on Monday. In a television interview, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. belied a newspaper report saying that de Lima did not clear Aquino of liability for the including, which left over 60 people dead. “Liability po ang ginamit na salita, pero walang quotation marks. Ibig sabihin, ang nagsulat lang niyan, ‘yung reporter o pinahintulutan lang yan ng editor…. Wala naman pong sinabi si Secretary de Lima na liability,” Coloma said. He added that de Lima only discussed the President’s accountability for the Mamasapano mission, which is different from criminal liablity. “Ang sinabi lang naman po ni Secretary de Lima, ayon sa una niyang pahayag hinggil sa command responsibility, may accountability. Malayo naman yung accountability sa liability,” the Palace official said. In a speech last Friday, de Lima said maintained that Aquino did not violate the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s chain of command during the Mamasapano mission. De Lima however said that “that does not mean that the President is not accountable.” She added that the President committed “an error in judgment that one can only know from hindsight.” In a separate statement, Coloma said De Lima’s remarks supported Aquino’s earlier statements on the Mamasapano debacle. “Sinabi ni DOJ Secretary de Lima na walang criminal liability si Pangulong Aquino hinggil sa operasyon sa Mamasapano. Kung meron mang naging pagkakamali ito ay batay sa natanggap na maling impormasyon. Read More …
Salaya-Ang’s collection is about believing six impossible things before breakfast. The collection was inspired by the maze of life. Pieces redefine an individual through this captivating palette that highlights a person’s uniqueness and beauty. Jonathan Asuncion MANILA,Philippines – They came, they saw and they slayed. Fresh and seasoned designers came together to set the catwalk on fire for the 2nd Manila Fashion Festival (MFF) on March 19 to March 22. In the bi-annual Manila Fashion Festival, the designers exhibited their talents in showcasing the season’s latest trends. Unlike other fashion shows, the designers used their own creative control over the show. The sartorial affair was spearheaded by Art Personas, a group known for creating better possibilities for their clients in the fashion and arts industry. For the opening of the MFF, designers Jerome Salaya-Ang, Happy Andrada, YAY, John Herrera, Jot Losa and Renan Pacson lead the pack of the Filipino talents. Salaya-Ang warmed up the atmosphere by bringing out his “Finding Absolem” collection. His pieces were dominated by feminine cuts and floral patterns. Salaya-Ang’s collection is about believing six impossible things before breakfast, inspired by the maze of life. Pieces redefine an individual through this captivating palette that highlights a person’s uniqueness and beauty. Jerome Salaya-Ang brings a sense of reformation to the runway. Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: Photos by Jonathan Asuncion/philstar.com Known for her unique, complex detailing, masterful use of material and a style that has her personal brand seared on it. Happy Andrada opted Read More …
Marwan. PHOTO FROM FBI.GOV MANILA, Philippines–It was his role as an efficient facilitator in the jihadist network in Southeast Asia that made it imperative for the Philippines to neutralize Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” even if he was not the deadly terrorist that sacked Special Action Force (SAF) Director Getulio Napeñas portrayed him to be, according to National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia. The Inquirer last week sought Garcia’s comment on the claim of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (Ipac) that Marwan was not a terrorist leader in Mindanao with impeccable bomb-making skills, as was declared after police commandos killed him in a daring raid in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, on Jan. 25. In a 15-page paper titled “Killing Marwan in Mindanao,” the Ipac noted how the Mamasapano debacle “raises questions about the intersection of counterterrorism and conflict resolution and their sometimes competing objectives.” “Those questions would have been important to address even had Marwan proven to be the master bomber that his reputation suggested. They become even more pressing if he was not,” it said, citing former colleagues of Marwan who had nothing impressive to say about the slain terrorist. Garcia said some of those who make up the Ipac were “very good … but their information came from old sources.” “The information may have been correct 10 or 15 years ago. But through the years, the prominent jihadists had either been killed or arrested that Marwan grew in importance in so far as being a facilitator for the Read More …
(Conclusion) (Shared in this space last week was the first half of the brochure text that accompanied the exhibition, “Revelations: A Jaime de Guzman Retrospective” which opened at the Main Gallery and Hallways of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on March 4, and is ongoing till April 26. Here’s the second half of that text titled “Introspective Retrospective,” which I wrote upon the request of the exhibit curator Emily Abrera, the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division head Ma. Victoria “Boots” Herrera, and Dr. Marti Magsanoc of Archivo 1984.) Jaime’s large-scale canvases, which frolicked darkly on the margins of expressionism and surrealism, employed a motley array of folk symbols and personal motifs. He explained in an interview: “How does Christ relate to Filipinos? Here we are confronted with the images of Christ in taxicabs, in the homes of rich and poor, everywhere. But most of these pictures may be considered safe because they don’t have any personal touch to it. Like the face of Christ, which is all white face, blue eyes and golden hair. What I’m trying to do is give my personal interpretation of Christ as a symbol.” One such interpretation was rendered in “Waiting for the Apostles,” showing Jesus sitting in the middle of a room of a typical provincial house, idly waiting. Christ also appears as the central figure in “Historical Allegory,” a large, major work that drew appreciative gasps when it was exhibited at Sining Kamalig in 1973. Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), Read More …
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is targeting to award the P35.4-billion Cavite – Laguna Expressway (Calax) to the winning bidder in the first week of July. DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson told bidders during a pre-bid conference last Friday that the agency is sticking to its original timetable for the rebidding of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project. Singson reiterated that the deadline for the submission of bids is on May 19, while the technical proposals are scheduled to be opened on June 2 and the financial proposals on June 15. He added that the agency is looking at issuing the notice of award to the winner on July 7. Food-to-infrastructure conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) through San Miguel Holdings Corp., Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. of infrastructure giant Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and professional service firm Reyes Tacandong & Co. submitted letters of intent to the DPWH. Singson said the groups would have to submit all the required documents again, while old documents submitted in the previous bidding last year should not be resubmitted. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Likewise, bidders are required to submit a new bid security. Ariel Angeles, officer-in-charge of the PPP project service of the DPWH, said the agency is sticking to the original Instruction to Prospective Bidders (ITPB) on the floor price of P20.105 billion as well as the single-stage qualification and bidding process. The DPWH has decided to adopt a single-stage qualification and bidding for Read More …
MANILA, Philippines – To help school owners and administrators come updated on laws and regulations for educational institutions especially with the implementation of K-12 program, the Center for Global Best Practices will run a seminar titled “Solving Legal Issues in Education Law”, to be held on Thursday and Friday, April 23 and 24, 2015 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the EDSA Shangri-la Hotel in Mandaluyong City, Philippines. This program is intended to address the problems, challenges, and most difficult issues faced by educators, school administrators and owners as well as align their school policies, student and HR manual with all the special laws applicable to primary, secondary and tertiary private educational institutions. The lecture will include the New/Revised Manual of Regulations for Private Schools in Basic Education. Full details of this one-time, limited-seats-only event are available at CGBP’s website at www.cgbp.org. You will also see other featured seminars including Super Memory Programs for K-12, College Students and Parents. Interested participants may also call program leader Ivana Villanueva at in Manila at (02) 842-7148/59, Cebu lines (032) 512-3106/07), Baguio number (074) 423-5148 or email at ivana@cgbp.org. Pre-registration is required. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 This two-day lecture is designed to help schools understand education law to protect themselves from torts and liabilities arising from lawsuits, address compliance issues, and at the same time align their administrative and operating policies to new and existing government regulations. Participants will also learn about the relevant laws governing tuition Read More …
The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Saturday confirmed the involvement of the private armed group of former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. in a firefight with the Philippine National Police Special Action Force in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao on Jan. 25. “Kasama ‘yung private armed group ni former governor Ampatuan sa Mamasapano [clash],” military spokesman Brig Gen. Joselito Kakilala told GMA News Online in a phone interview on Saturday. Kakilala explained that most of the members of the private armed group joined the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters after being implicated in the Maguindanao massacre in 2009. “Most of them joined Ali Tambako’s group,” Kakilala said, referring to the former vice chairman of the BIFF who was arrested in General Santos City earlier this week. The Maguindanao massacre resulted in the deaths of 58 people, including 32 journalists, who were in a convoy headed to the Commission on Elections office to register Esmael Mangudadatu as a candidate in the 2010 gubernatorial race. The Ampatuan patriarch is the principal suspect in the massacre case and is already in government custody. A witness in the Department of Justice investigation into the Mamasapano clash has tagged a group called “Massacre” as among those that attacked the 55th Special Action Company in a cornfield there. “Hindi ko alam ang pangalan ng grupo, I will have to check, but the PAG [private armed group] of former Governor Ampatuan was part [of the clash],” he said. More than 60 people, including 44 police commandos, were killed Read More …