UAE healthcare firm to fund surgeries of 50 Filipino kids with heart defects

 News
Feb 132013
 
UAE healthcare firm to fund surgeries of 50 Filipino kids with heart defects

By Philip Tubeza Philippine Daily Inquirer 6:07 am | Thursday, February 14th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—Thankful for the contribution of overseas Filipino workers in the growth of their business, a major healthcare company from the United Arab Emirates launched on Wednesday a P5-million campaign in Manila to save Filipino children with congenital heart defects (CHD) by funding their surgeries and treatment. DM Healthcare LLC, through its charity foundation, launched the Save the Little Hearts Program, which aims to help 50 Filipino children with CHD have their surgery here or in India for free. Annually, 20,000 children with CHD are born in the Philippines and one of out four of these patients die because they do not get medical treatment. “Why come here in Manila? We want to give back to the people who helped us and to the country where they came from,” Padma Shri Dr. Azad Moopen, the founder of DM Healthcare, said during the launch at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati. “This country and its people are very close to our hearts. Twenty percent of our staff is composed of Filipinos and they have given us excellent service for the past five years,” he said. “As an employer of choice to thousands of Filipino staff at DM Healthcare, we wanted to give back to the community that is integral to our growth, success and quality,” Moopen added. Moopen said the campaign would help children with CHD from the poorest families and those who have been in dire need of Read More …

Comelec to start issuing notices to campaign violators

 News
Feb 132013
 
Comelec to start issuing notices to campaign violators

After a one-day leeway, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will start sending out notices to national candidates will illegal campaign posters on Wednesday. Candidates who will not remove such posters within three days after receipt of notice will be slapped with charges, Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. warned on Wednesday. “Wala naman kaming taong magtatanggal ng dinidikit nila (candidates). ‘Pag di nila tinanggal after three days from notice mag-uumpisa na kami mag-file ng charges,” said Brillantes in an ambush interview in San Juan where he was attending an event by good governance group Kaya Natin!. He admitted that as of Wednesday, the second of the 90-day campaign period for national candidates, all the Comelec could do was monitor and issue warnings regarding violations on election rules. “Tignan natin within the next few days. Probably by the weekend, tapos na ho yung three days, baka makakita na tayo ng konting galaw from us. Ngayon, puro warning lang ho kami. ‘Yung mga nagdidikit, okay, ‘di pa namin kayo hahabulin pero tatanggalin din niyo ‘yan,” he said “‘Pag ‘di niyo tinanggal, kayo na ho ang bahala. Kami naman ang bahala sa inyo,” he added. Brillantes appealed to candidates who violate campaign rules not to risk possible consequences that may jeopardize their candidacy. “Kaya pakiusap ko sa mga kandidato wag na kayong mag-risk kasi kung idemanda namin kayo doon lang medyo masisira na kampanya niyo e at malamang matalo pa kayo,” he said. “We’re giving them a chance. I’m announcing ‘yung mga nagdidikit diyan Read More …

Senate war gets uglier as Miriam threatens to expose Lacson's sexuality

 News
Feb 122013
 
Senate war gets uglier as Miriam threatens to expose Lacson's sexuality

The discord within the Senate got uglier Wednesday after Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago launched another attack against Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, this time threatening to expose his real sexuality. “Maghanda ka (Lacson) dahil meron akong parliamentary immunity, ibulgar ko lahat ng kasalanan mo pati ang sexuality mo,” Santiago said in a radio interview. She noted that Lacson, former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), is known to some people as “Pinky Lacson.” In a text message to GMA News Online, Lacson denied being gay as insinuated by Santiago. “I am sorry to disappoint the lady senator. If she’s insinuating some lunatic idea about my sexuality, let me emphasize this — I am not gay and I do not intend to be one,” he said. Santiago, who is waiting to be summoned by the International Criminal Court where she has been named judge, said she will try to remain a senator for another month when Congress resumes session in June to answer Lacson’s allegation that she is using Senate funds for her personal needs. ‘Pinky’ Lacson “[Tatawad ako para] masagot ko naman ‘yung mga pagbibintang ni… ‘di ko na alam pangalan niya, kasi ibang tao tawag sa kanya Ping Lacson, ibang tao naman tawag sa kanya Pinky Lacson,” the feisty lawmaker said. She also said that she will find out all of Lacson’s wrongdoings and expose them. “Tapos ikaw (Lacson) hindi ka na senador wala ka nang parliamentary immunity pag sumagot ka sa akin demanda kita ng libel,” Santiago said. Lacson Read More …

Comelec notes continued violations of campaign rules

 News
Feb 122013
 
Comelec notes continued violations of campaign rules

The Commission on Elections on Wednesday found continued violations of the campaign rules for the May elections as it started a “documentation tour” of compliance with campaign rules. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez led the team that took pictures of the campaign posters. Among the first seen by the Comelec were campaign materials of Kabataan party-list on the posts of LRT in front of Luneta Park and along Taft Avenue in Manila. Comelec spokesman James Arthur Jimenez posted on Twitter a photo of posters plastered along Taft Avenue, belonging to the youth-oriented party list. In his post, he indicated the photo was taken as of 11 a.m. Wednesday. There was also an oversized tarpaulin of Buhay party-list hanging on an electric post along Quirino Avenue. The poll body prohibits posting of campaign materials on public infrastructures, among others. Comelec earlier said those who will be found to have illegal campaign posters will be given a notice which they should act on within three days or they will be charged with an election offense. The Comelec is now enforcing campaign rules for candidates in the senatorial and party-list elections, after the campaign period for such posts started on Tuesday. “(The candidates concerned), however, will have to be given official notice of this violation, and the opportunity to address (the) problem,” Jimenez earlier said on his Twitter account.  As of posting time, the areas covered by the documentation tour are Intramuros, Finance Road, Taft Avenue and Quirino Avenue in Manila. Earlier in the Read More …

UNA may drop Chiz as candidate after proclamation rally snub

 News
Feb 122013
 
UNA may drop Chiz as candidate after proclamation rally snub

(Updated 12:30 p.m.) TAGBILARAN CITY — The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) may drop re-electionist Senator Francis Escudero as its guest candidate if he continues to snub its sorties, Vice President and coalition stalwart Jejomar Binay said Wednesday. Binay said Escudero is “likely” to be removed as UNA senatorial bet if he repeatedly fails to show up or send a representative to the coalition’s political rally, similar to what happened during the coalition’s kickoff sortie in Cebu on Tuesday night. “Sa sitwasyon ngayon, kami naman ang kawawa sa usapan na ito. Siya, dinadala natin, pero paano naman kami?” Binay told reporters. He added that Escudero will be given the chance to make up for his absence in UNA’s first official sortie, since the senator has already made a commitment to attend future political rallies of the coalition. “Alam mo naman na may usapan na sila ay sasama sa sortie naming paminsan-minsan. Tingnan natin kung darating na sila… In fairness to him [Escudero], he requested to attend the LP [Liberal Party] sortie,” Binay said. In a text message to GMA News Online, Escudero said he was not able send a representative to UNA’s rally like his fellow common candidates Sen. Loren Legarda and former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) chair Grace Poe-Llamanzares for obvious reasons. “Di tulad ni Loren, wala na akong tatay. At di tulad ni Grace, five years old pa lang mga anak ko. Sent a video message but they decided not to show it,” he said. Read More …

Moderate rains expected over Eastern Luzon, Visayas

 News
Feb 122013
 
Moderate rains expected over Eastern Luzon, Visayas

Satellite image at 8 a.m., 13 Feb 2013. Satellite image at 8 a.m., 13 Feb 2013 Weather Central Rain may fall over the eastern parts of Luzon and Visayas due to the northeast monsoon on Wednesday, state weather forecasters said. PAGASA forecaster Buddy Javier also said Metro Manila is no longer likely to experience a repeat of Tuesday’s surprise rain showers. “Kahapon kasi kaya tayo inulan, lumakas ang northeast monsoon at tumagos sa Luzon, umabot sa Metro Manila. Light rain lang naman,” Javier said in an interview on dzBB radio. Effects of Amihan monsoon “The northeast monsoon has strengthened as it now affects the entire eastern sections of Luzon and Visayas.  For the whole day today, light to moderate rainshowers or thunderstorms should be expected over eastern —Samar and Leyte provinces—  and central —Cebu and Bohol— sections of  Visayas and the whole of Mindanao, particularly in CARAGA and Davao regions,” said GMA resident meteorologist Nathaniel “Mang Tani” Cruz. “Bicol, Quezon, and parts of southern Luzon –particularly MIMAROPA)— as well as Batanes and extreme northern Luzon will also have light rains today,” he added.   24-hour weather forecast ending 8 a.m., February 14, 2013  In its 5 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA also said the northeast monsoon is affecting Eastern Luzon and Eastern Visayas. PAGASA said Eastern and Central Visayas and Caraga will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms. Cagayan Valley, Aurora and Quezon provinces, and Bicol will experience cloudy skies with light rain. Metro Manila and the rest Read More …

THE BEE AND THE SWEETENING OF A COUNTRY’S CULTURE

 News
Feb 122013
 
THE BEE AND THE SWEETENING OF A COUNTRY’S CULTURE

By Ana Maria Villanueva-Lykes In the US a child’s first words are usually “dada”, “momma”, and “dog”. In the Philippines, it’s “papa”, “mama” and “bee”. And it’s not just any kind of bee. It’s a special yellow and orange bee with a chef’s hat and jacket. No pants. Every toddler in the Philippines knows the sweet taste of the hotdog bits in the spaghetti just as well as Lolo is familiar with the delightful sensation of the Chicken Joy crispy skin on the tongue. Their wide eyes — both Lolo’s and apo’s — shine at the first bite. It is because of these toddlers and their lolos — and every member of the family for that matter — that Jollibee is no longer just a fast food chain but an icon. A mere burger chain has somehow managed to colonize “the youth culture and mass consumption”, as Andréa Picard would put it in her Cinema Scope feature. What is it about Jollibee that makes international film critiques call it a phenomenon and even The New York Times describe it as “strangely addicting”? Jollibee’s success has gone beyond Philippine taste in spite of the fact that others might define its fare as substandard, a taste for the masses. It has conquered the international palate, earning Jollibee the right to call itself the “Filipino Triumph”. Jollibee’s story is not just the tale of Tony Tan Caktiong but the story of the Filipino’s triumph over the red-haired clown and what others might consider Read More …

Binay: Chinese New Year reminder of PHL, China brotherhood

 News
Feb 102013
 
Binay: Chinese New Year reminder of PHL, China brotherhood

Chinese New Year. Seng Guan (信願寺) temple in Manila’s Chinatown district on Sunday was crowded with people mostly wearing red, hoping for good luck and happiness in the Year of the Snake. Klein Sze/ Ang Pahayagang Plaridel The celebration of the Chinese New Year should be a reminder to the peoples of the Philippines and China of their brotherhood amid their seeming differences, Vice President Jejomar Binay said Sunday. In his Chinese New Year message, Binay said the kinship of the Filipinos and Chinese span millennia, and Sunday’s occasion reminds them they can work together harmoniously. “New Year celebrations such as this remind us that China and the Philippines have more similarities than differences, more brotherhood than anything else,” he said in his message posted on his Facebook account. The Philippines and China had been engaged in a territorial dispute over parts of the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea). Last January, the Philippines handed a note verbale to Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing to notify China of its decision to elevate its complaint to an Arbitral Tribunal. The Arbitral Tribunal is an option provided for by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). China’s nine-dash line overlaps with the territories of its Asian neighbors like the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. But Binay also pointed out several Filipino customs sprout from Chinese roots. He also said the age-old values of hard work, respect for elders, and sense of duty to our country “are common threads Read More …

DOJ lawyers to start process of Amalilio extradition

 News
Feb 102013
 
DOJ lawyers to start process of Amalilio extradition

By TJ Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer 6:28 pm | Sunday, February 10th, 2013 MANUEL AMALILIO Contributed photo MANILA, Philippines – Lawyers from the Department of Justice would fly to Malaysia to formally start the process of extraditing Manuel Amalilio for allegedly swindling 15 million Filipinos of P12 billion in an investment scam, Malacañang said Sunday. Undersecretary Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, debunked reports quoting Malaysian officials as saying that Kuala Lumpur would not extradite Amalilio since he is a Malaysian citizen. “That’s inaccurate because first of all our state counsels from the DOJ were about to go [to Malaysia] to formally start the extradition process,’’ Valte said over government-run dzRB. Even though Malaysia has no extradition treaty with the Philippines, Malaysian law allows extradition under “certain processes,’’ Valte pointed out. In a statement in Malaysia’s Star newspaper Saturday, Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail said Malaysia would not extradite Amalilio, aka Mohammad Kamal, because he is a Malaysian citizen holding a valid and active identification card. Gani said that the Attorney General’s Chambers had received a formal request from the Philippines’ Department of Justice to hand over Amalilio to the Philippines under the Asean Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, and freeze his asset. A team of Philippine law enforcers was about to board a plane to Manila with the fugitive on Jan. 25 when they were stopped by senior Malaysian police officials. Amalilio was returned to police custody and subsequently convicted and sentenced for fraud by a Kota Kinabalu court. Quoting Read More …

US appeals court rejects Filipino WWII Veterans’ lawsuit seeking benefits

 News
Feb 102013
 
US appeals court rejects Filipino WWII Veterans’ lawsuit seeking benefits

By Nimfa U. Rueda Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:56 pm | Sunday, February 10th, 2013 LOS ANGELES — Aging Filipino veterans seeking benefits for their World War II services have decided to take their case to the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court had ruled against them, the veterans’ lawyer said. “The fight continues,” said lawyer Arnedo Valera, who received the decision on Friday (Saturday in Manila). “Sadly, the decision highlights the continued discrimination against our beloved veterans.” The lawsuit filed by the veterans against the US Department of Veterans Affairs said the benefits granted to Filipino veterans were far below those received by US veterans, including pensions and health care. More than 250,000 Filipinos fought for the United States during World War II and were promised equal treatment with American veterans after the war. But in 1946, the US Congress enacted the Rescission Act that took away full recognition of Filipino war veterans and stripped them of their benefits. In 2009, the US Congress approved the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), a stimulus package that included one-time payments of $15,000 to Filipino veterans in the United States and $9,000 to those living in the Philippines. But the lawsuit, filed in the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco in October 2010, said the claims of thousands of other veterans were rejected since records from the Philippines proving their services were not accepted by US authorities. The Department of Veterans Affairs required documentation from a federal registry Read More …

 Older Entries  Newer Entries