Maniolas

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC Filipinos won’t just sit down and allow others to give them a beating. A day after President Rodrigo Duterte invited the United Nations and the European Union to probe the alleged human rights violations in his war against illegal drugs, Malacañang on Friday said the two international bodies should also expect punches from the President. “It’s not a one way ticket to the flu; kasi dapat may return ticket iyan (there should be a return ticket). Hindi naman tayo magpapabugbog na lamang (We won’t allow others to just give us a beating),” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in an interview over radio DZMM. “Malinaw din ang sinabi ng Pangulo na pagkatapos nilang mag-imbestiga, pagkatapos nilang magtanung, si Presidente naman ang magtatanong sa kanila (The President made it clear that after they investigate, he will also ask questions to them),” he added. Amid Duterte’s invitation, Andanar said other countries should respect Philippine sovereignty. “We are a sovereign country, respect our sovereignty, the way we respect your sovereignty. Hindi naman tayo nakikialam sa mga internal affairs ng ibang bansa. Kailan ba nakialam ang Pilipinas sa European Union o doon sa Amerika o sa ibang bansa? Hindi naman tayo nakikialam eh (We never meddle in the internal affairs of other countries. When did the Philippines interfere with the European Union, the United States or other nations? We never interfere), we simply mind our own business,” he said. On Thursday, Duterte invited UN’s chief Ban Ki-Moon and Read More …

TAIPEI—Taiwan’s defense ministry has asked Google to blur images of a new development believed to be for military use on a disputed South China Sea island. Tensions remain high in the region over conflicting territorial claims, particularly over the strategically important Spratlys chain. Taiwan administers Taiping island, which is the largest in the Spratlys archipelago. The island chain is also claimed in part or whole by the Philippines, Vietnam and China. Google satellite images show a circular structure with four Y-shaped attachments, jutting out to sea on Taiping’s northwestern coast. The development comes after Taiwan last year inaugurated a solar-powered lighthouse, an expanded airstrip and a pier as part of efforts to strengthen defense capabilities on Taiping. The defense ministry said it was in the process of contacting Google Thursday to ask them to blur the satellite images, but would not comment further on what the structures are. “It is classified information,” the ministry’s spokesman Chen Chung-chi said when asked the reason for the request to Google, which was made after images of the structures surfaced in local media. Fears over possible military confrontation in the area have grown since an international tribunal ruling in July which rejected Beijing’s sweeping claims to almost all of the South China Sea — even waters approaching coasts of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations. China outlines its territory using a vague map that emerged in the 1940s, resulting in an overlap with Taiwan’s claims. The two sides split in 1949 after a Read More …

Abu Sayyaf gunmen have released an Indonesian captive in Sulu province, the military said, as freed Norwegian captive Kjartan Sekkingstad flew out of the Philippines on Thursday. Herman Bin Manggak, 32, was released to the Moro National Liberation Front and later handed over to concerned Joint Task Force Sulu members. The Abu Sayyaf abducted Manggak in waters off Sandakan in Sabah on Aug. 3, 2016. A report from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) said the victim was brought to Camp Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital for medical examination and debriefing before being turned over to Wesmincom authorities. Brig. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, joint task force commander, said the release was a result of the continued military offensives of the joint task force against Abu Sayyaf members, who have split into smaller groups to evade the pursuing soldiers. The good news came as freed Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad left on Thursday, days after the Abu Sayyaf group freed him from nearly a year in captivity. Two Canadian nationals kidnapped with him in the southern city of Davao have been beheaded, while a fourth victim, a Filipina, was freed months into captivity. The lanky Norwegian, now clean-shaven, boarded at around 1:30 p.m. Thai Airways flight TG-621 to Bangkok at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1. Escorted by Norwegian Embassy officials, Sekkingstad was headed to catch a connecting flight to Oslo. Sekkingstad was abducted on Sept. 21, 2015, from a resort in Samal Island along with Canadian nationals Read More …

Pearl Alba-Donapel stands up to discrimination with knowledge of US culture and society. CONTRIBUTED SAN FRANCISCO — “I grew up in a small village in Sangat, M’lang, Cotabato where television was nonexistent and there was no electric power,” recalls Pearl Alba-Donapel, 41. Now she is raising her kids in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she stands up to any form of discrimination by being proud of her heritage and challenging herself to be armed with knowledge. Growing up in a farming village without electric power at night did not hinder her education. Pearl walked five kilometers to attend a Catholic high school in Cotabato. After college, she went to Davao City to work. In 2001 she met her husband, Steve, now 46. Eventually, they became engaged. Pearl flew to Philadelphia in 2002 where they got married on October 12, 2002. Marrying an American does not make an immigrant an instant citizen. It took five years before Pearl got her citizenship. She was a full-time mother to Chynna, Stephen and Christian Matthew. Her husband owns a commercial plumbing company and rents and sells flipped houses. In mixed marriages cultural differences cannot be set aside. Pearl has to struggle on this too, but in the end mutual respect and love tend to prevail. “My husband likes to express himself and (is) straightforward. I am not used to it. In our culture if you have a displeasure with something, you choose your words wisely and sometimes, we, Filipinos tend to hide it to avoid confrontation Read More …

Chicken adobo at Chicago’s Adobofest. FAN/FILIPINO KITCHEN CHICAGO ­­– Five home cooks will compete in an adobo Taste-Off Oct. 2 at the 9th annual FAN Adobofest at Kultura Festival hosted by the Filipino American Network (FAN) Chicago and Filipino Kitchen. Adobofest has been held for years at St. Paul and LaBagh Woods on the city’s northwest side. Potential contestants can sign up for the adobo home cooking contest at the FAN website. Their work will be judged by a panel of chefs and restaurant professionals to find “Chicago’s Best Home-Cooked Adobo.” Additionally, the annual balut eating contest will also be held to promote voter registration. Balut, a Philippine street food, is partially developed duck or chicken duck embyro. “Since 2008, Adobofest has grown by bringing our community together around food, family, culture and fun,” said Edgar Jimenez, executive director of Adobofest. “Year after year, we are so proud these home-cook competitors get recognized by their community, food professionals, restaurateurs and chefs. The trophies are well deserved!” “When we use the hashtag #pinoyssupportingpinoys on our social media, it’s not a gimmick. It’s a real strategy to get our community moving forward together,” said Natalia Roxas, co-founder of Filipino Kitchen. “We wanted to find a way to make a joint event work for the community, and we’re so pleased to host Adobofest at Kultura.” Kultura is a contemporary Filipino American food and arts festival taking place at Logan Square’s Emporium Arcade Bar and Surf Bar, 2363 N Milwaukee, on Sunday, October 2, Read More …