Maniolas

Joseph Aloysius exhibits his Calado collection at the Philippine Center, Fifth Avenue, New York. INQUIRER.net/Carol Tanjutco NEW YORK CITY – Fashion designer Joseph Aloysius’ Calado collection can viewed at his solo exhibit at the Philippine Center, Fifth Avenue, in celebration of Filipino-American History Month. Trade Representative Katrina Banzon assisted Consul General Mario De Leon in cutting the pina-jusi ribbon that formally opened the show on Oct. 3. It will run until Oct. 8, 2016. Consul-General Mario Lopez De Leon noted, “As more and more kababayans are gaining prominence in the international fashion stage, we are happy that another kababayan is poised to makes waves (and weaves) in New York to increase the visibility of the Philippines in the American society through fashion.” Philantropist Loida Nicolas Lewis’ choice is a nostalgic slip-on dress finely crafted with delicate beads that add shimmer perfect for a day to night event, for an executive on the move. INQUIRER.net/Carol Tanjutco Preparing to launch his brand to the world, Aloysius wowed the select Filipino American and foreign guests at his exhibit and fashion show last month during the 2016 New York Fashion Week. His 15-piece meticulously hand-embroidered Calado lace and pineapple fabric gave a new dimension to the traditional Filipiniana look, combining classic elegance and flirtatious femininity, an overall glamorous version of modern Filipina attire.   From the Joseph Aloysius Collection. INQUIRER.net/Carol Tanjutco Joseph Aloysius thanked his partners, the Philippine Consulate General, Philippine Trade and Investment Center NY, Philippine Department of Tourism NY, his sponsors Philippine Read More …

EU ambassador Franz Jessen/Yuji Gonzales, INQUIRER.net European Union ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen said moving the peace process with leftist rebels has been an important breakthrough of President Duterte in his first 100 days. Jessen, however, noted a lot of changes in terms of “new language” and many interpretations of statements. President Duterte had been thrown into fits of cussing and swearing at the EU as well as United Nations and US President Obama for their criticisms on summary killings of drug addicts that have reached more than 3,000. “One hundred days passed very fast, lots of changes, new policies, new language, and many interpretations of statements and developments,” said ambassador Jessen in his open letter posted on the Facebook website of EU in the Philippines. In his assessment of Duterte’s first 100 days, Jessen said “the ongoing peace process remains an area where President Duterte may have an early and very important breakthrough.” This week, he said talks between the Philippine government and rebels continue in Norway. “We all hope that an agreement will soon be reached between the different parties, so that needed peace and stability in Mindanao can be used as a basis for further developments in Mindanao and the Philippines.” He said the EU-Philippines strong cooperation continues with the successful hosting of the first EU-Philippines Business Summit that gathered 300 businessmen. Jessen said European businessmen remain keen on investing in the Philippines particularly in the area of energy. Times have been rough for the EU Read More …

It’s the Duterte administration’s first 100 days on Friday, but the President was in no mood  to celebrate but he did not let the day pass without giving  the United States yet another tongue lashing. “Do not treat us like a doormat because you will be sorry for it,” President Duterte told the Philippines’ long-time ally Friday evening. Duterte again launched fresh tirades against the US for criticizing his administration’s war on illegal drugs and interfering in the country’s affairs. “Assess yourselves. Because if you don’t, you will lose the Philippines,” he said. Instead of making sweeping criticisms of the Philippines, Duterte said the US should instead ask its UN ambassador to make a complaint and investigate first. “You can ask your ambassador to the United Nations to make a complaint. Ask them and investigate and make a report and that is the time you call my attention,” he said. He mentioned the plans of the Central Intelligence Agency to oust him. “You want to oust me? You want to use the CIA? Go ahead. I said I put at stake my honor, my life, and the presidency. What happens to me is really a part of my destiny. If I am ousted, then that is part of my presidency,” he said. Throwback The President mentioned how the Philippines suffered during the US colonization in the Philippines.“We sacrificed for you. You stayed here. You are still doing business here. Nilunok ko na lang iyan. We suffered during the last Second Read More …

The Taiwanese government has eased its visa requirements for qualified Philippine passport holders, according to the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines. Based on the new rules, Philippine passport holders who have been granted entry to selected countries may go to Taiwan for up to 30 days without a visa starting last Sept. 1. TECO said applicants who have either a valid entry visa or permanent resident card issued by Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, any of Schengen countries, the United Kingdom and the United States are qualified for visa-free travel to Taiwan. All Philippine passport holders were previously required to apply for visa before they could visit Taiwan. Expired visa or resident card in the abovementioned countries is also valid provided that it had expired less than ten years before the date of arrival in Taiwan, TECO said. To be eligible for the exemption, applicants should also have an onward/return air or ferry ticket and passport with a remaining validity of at least six months before the date of arrival, and should have never been employed as blue-collar workers in Taiwan. Applicants may apply for exemption authorization certificate online. CDG READ: Filipinos among Asia’s top travelers, says Visa TAGS: Passport, Taiwan, Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), Travel, visa For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.

My heart goes out to all our Jewish brethren and all men and women of goodwill, who felt offended by President Duterte’s comparison of drug users and dealers (junkies) to Holocaust victims. I begin by saying that Adolf Hitler became Europe’s mad scientist whose Frankenstein monster was Nazism and the first victims were the Jews. It was a cruel time when Hitler played God without divine permission, like President Duterte who is considered by many to be playing God by deciding who dies and and who lives. The Nazi regime became Germany’s unstoppable monster, animated by Adolf Hitler’s ideology of Aryan supremacy, a racial theory that told the world: “All Jews were untermenschen (subhuman).” It was the basis for the murder of Jews, defective children in the womb, the comatose, inutile grandparents in the home of the aged, prisoners in the death row, etc. Maybe, just maybe, this sort of subconscious philosophy was in the President’s mind when he said that junkies were not humans. Charismatic, populist In Nazi Germany, it all began in 1935 when the Nuremberg Laws defined Jews by race and mandated the total separation of “Aryans from non-Aryans,” the social segregation of Germans and Austrians from the Jews. World War II then came rumbling. It marked the beginning of genocide in many parts of Europe. And in order to justify the mass murder of the Jews, the Nazis used both logical arguments and stereotypes. Jews “are disloyal citizens and a danger to internal security,” Nazis perpetually announced in public address systems. Evil genius Hitler gave birth to Nazism and Nazism gave birth to the xenophobic “voelkisch (people’s) movement.” Almost similar to Duterte’s mass support, the movement was made up of German scholars, thinkers and artists who viewed the Jewish spirit as alien to Germandom. I quote the Führer in his own words (from his Read More …