Maniolas

Once again, the Filipino nation rejoiced on the recent success of Manny Pacquiao in his boxing bout with New Yorker challenger Cris Algerie. At 35 years old, I think Pacquio lost some of his lethal punching power which has catapulted him into an international boxing superstar. Despite the fact that he has not scored a knock-out victory since getting floored by Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012, Pacquiao is still the perfect symbol of the hopes and aspirations of the Filipino people, particularly the poor. While watching the Pacquiao versus Algerie fight in a hotel in Burlingame, San Francisco, people watching the fight in the television all agreed that the “fighting pride of the Philippines” is the most effective morale booster of a country that has been rocked by scandals for years due to unabated corruption among elected public officials. Most Filipinos think that the only good news that can lift up the spirits of Filipinos is when Pacquiao steps into the ring, fights and wins. Pacquiao is also an effective unifying leader with the ability to inspire others because of what he has accomplished in life. Pacquiao has transformed his success in boxing into other fields. He is now a singer, once a television host, an actor, a professional basketball player and coach, and a Congressman representing the province of Sarangani. Pacquiao has long been rated as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world by sporting news and boxing websites, as well as the ESPN and Sports Illustrated, for his Read More …

FILE – This Oct. 5, 2009 file photo shows Joan Rivers during the 25th International Film and Programme Market for TV, Video, Cable and Satellite, in Cannes, southeastern France. AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau, File NEW YORK (AP) — Joan Rivers’ left her daughter, Melissa, in charge of her fortune and left money for some of her favorite charities, including Guide Dogs for the Blind, Jewish Guild Healthcare and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. According to Rivers’ 2014 will, which was filed in New York State Surrogate’s Court, the late comedienne made Melissa Rivers her will’s executor with “the broadest and most absolute permissible direction” over a fortune that has been estimated as high as $150 million. Other charities she singled out were the New York-based food pantry God’s Love We Deliver, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Jewish Home and Hospital Foundation in Manhattan. Rivers died Sept. 4 at 81 of brain damage due to lack of oxygen. She’d stopped breathing during an endoscopy days earlier. The late comedienne asked that her business manager Michael D. Karlin and interior designer Robert Higdon be named co-executors of the living trust. Specifics of her assets and how they will be divided haven’t been disclosed. Bequests were made to her assistants, Sabrina Lott and Jocelyn Pickett, her publicist Scott Currie, and Rivers’ niece and nephew, Caroline Waxler and Andrew Waxler.

DATCHE Phils was one of the sponsor-exhibitors in the PhilSME Business Expo 2014 held last Nov. 21 to 23 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, Metro Manila. “Filipino SMEs are our top clients. And this is our way of getting involved and helping them be competitive in their respective industries,” said Johny Benjamin, branch manager of the DATCHE Phils – Manila. On exhibit during the event were POS systems and POS peripherals. There was also a free consultation and demo to the booth visitors. DATCHE’s Manila branch is one of eight branches nationwide, but has been one of the company’s priority branches to develop. “For more than three decades now, DATCHE has been at the forefront in the VisMin,” Benjamin said. He said DATCHE -Manila’s client base is growing fast, with clients in areas even outside of the Metro. As an importer for more than three decades, DATCHE said it guarantees its clients with a reliable backup of machines spare parts and continuous research and development works. DATCHE has served major retail, fast food, and fine dining establishments and is accredited by the BIR and major malls such as SM, Ayala and Robinsons, among others. Aside from exhibits on the latest business innovations and trends, PhilSME also conducted seminars, forums, workshops, product presentations and other activities to seek growth opportunities to help SMEs be competitive in an Asean Economic Community. In one of the forums, DATCHE product support manager Francis Lim discussed how using the right POS machines can Read More …

Samar residents start picking up pieces after Ruby’s wrath. Residents stand in front of destroyed houses in Borongan, Eastern Samar on Monday, December 8, a day after Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) hit the province on December 6. Millions in the NCR hunkered down as a major storm churned toward the megacity, after killing at least 21 people and destroying thousands of homes on remote islands. Soldiers and aid workers rushed to reach devastated coastal villages on Samar island, where Typhoon Hagupit crashed in from the Pacific Ocean last weekend with winds of 210 kms an hour. AFP/Vincent Go The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Tuesday said the number of people affected by Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) had breached the two-million mark while damage breached the P1-billion mark. The NDRRMC also overhauled its list of fatalities from Ruby after finding the two in the initial list did not die as a direct result of the cyclone. In its 6 a.m. update, the NDRRMC said there are now three fatalities who it said have been confirmed and validated. These include: Jimmy Cardente, 14, of Cebu, who died from electrocution Princess Abelgas, 2 months old, Calbayog, Samar, hit by falling tree Sunny Recto, of Naval in Biliran, hit by debris It said the two earlier listed as fatalities—Thea Rojo and Ernesto Baylon—were “not directly related to Typhoon Ruby.” During a media briefing Tuesday, NDRRMC executive director Alexander Pama also said eight bodies had been found, but authorities will still verify if their Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – With a number of Filipinos aggressively taking on healthy lifestyles, it is surprising to know that many people are still afflicted by osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases. Many factors may contribute to the development of these illnesses and one of the most talked about by experts today is vitamin D deficiency. A study commissioned by pharmaceutical leader United Laboratories, Inc. (Unilab) found that seven out of 10 working Filipinos suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Of the over 5,000 participants tested, more than 70 percent were found to be vitamin D deficient without them even knowing it. The study also found that there is a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among women. Hi-Precision Diagnostics, a Department of Health licensed medical facility, collected, assayed, and interpreted the results based on international laboratory standards, with 30 ng/ml blood level of vitamin D serving as the baseline for deficiency. Those who registered below the level set were deemed vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D synthesizes calcium and phosphorus from the food we eat, keeping bones strong and capable of self-recuperation. Aside from making the body’s defense system respond faster and more efficient against foreign invaders, vitamin D also stabilizes heart and blood pressure, regulates insulin secretion by the pancreas, and promotes proper muscle formation and brain development. The sun is the body’s natural source of vitamin D and those who shun or have very little exposure to it become susceptible to vitamin D deficiency. Having dark skin, staying indoors Read More …