US eyes progress on South China Sea tensions

 News
Jun 052013
 
US eyes progress on South China Sea tensions

WASHINGTON – A US official on Wednesday voiced hope that China and Southeast Asian nations will start talks soon on a code of conduct to resolve disputes over the South China Sea after repeated flare-ups. Joe Yun, the acting assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said that China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) made apparent progress during a working-level meeting last week in Bangkok. “I think there seems to be an understanding that at a future date, maybe sometime this year, they will announce a formal beginning of negotiations” on a code of conduct, Yun told the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “If that’s the case, we would genuinely welcome it because we see CoC as a key piece of the puzzle that would bring peaceful resolution” to rival claims in the South China Sea, Yun said. Tensions have soared in recent years as Vietnam and the Philippines accuse China of increasingly assertive claims to territories in the South China Sea, through which around half of the world’s cargo passes. The broader region is also rife with maritime disputes, with the Philippines and Taiwan recently at loggerheads and China and Japan embroiled in a bitter dispute over islands in potentially energy-rich waters of the East China Sea. Yun reiterated that the United States does not take sides in territorial disputes and that a code of conduct, which would formalize rules of behavior, offered the best way to prevent further conflict. “To be frank with Read More …

Bryan Termulo tries acting in Juday’s new soap

 Entertainment
Jun 052013
 

He’s more known as the voice behind some of the most popular theme songs of hit teleseryes and now singer Bryan Termulo is joining a drama series – as an actor. Termulo, who recorded the hit “Dadalhin” for the series “Walang Hanggan” and “Sa Isang Sulyap Mo” for “Juan dela Cruz,” will appear in the […]

PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL, DOT AND FILIPINO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS GEAR UP FOR 08 JUNE 2013 KALAYAAN CELEBRATION AT HISTORIC FILIPINOTOWN

 Entertainment
Jun 052013
 

Los Angeles, 04 June 2013. – The Philippine Consulate General, the Department of Tourism and the Filipino community organizations of Los Angeles gears up for KALAYAAN 2013 at Filipinotown on 08 June 2013. One of the highlights of Kalayaan 2013 celebration are the Dinagyang Street Dancers from the City of Iloilo and million-peso championship winner […]

PDI president urges newspaper publishers: Embrace new media

 News
Jun 052013
 
PDI president urges newspaper publishers: Embrace new media

By Michael Lim Ubac Philippine Daily Inquirer 1:40 am | Thursday, June 6th, 2013 INQUIRER THRUST Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, Inquirer president and CEO, presents the innovations adapted by the Inquirer to reach out to a wider audience before publishers and editors from all over the world at the 65th World Newspaper Congress on Wednesday. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BANGKOK—Inquirer president and CEO Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez said in a global conference of publishers on Wednesday that the Inquirer would pursue its “strong heritage of being a watchdog of government.” Romualdez conveyed, in effect, a message that the Inquirer’s role as a sentinel of democracy, besides being a newspaper of record, was the heart and soul of the Philippines’ No. 1 national daily. This advocacy has “gotten us into quite (some) burning pots situations,” she said. Coming from this perspective, Romualdez talked about the paper’s success story since its birth 27 years ago, and discussed the larger media trends in the country amid technological innovations that were rapidly changing the media terrain in the print and digital spheres. “Embrace it at a faster pace,” she said of the social media revolution. Romualdez was the only other woman speaker at the plenary sessions of the three-day 65th World Newspaper Congress, which closed Wednesday. Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra addressed the group on Tuesday. Romualdez was one of the four speakers during Session 8 of the conference at the Bangkok Convention Center attended by some 1,500 newspaper publishers, editors, advertisers and other media staff from 70 countries to Read More …

Relay for life: Waging an all-out battle vs cancer

 Entertainment
Jun 052013
 

by Rey Andres What do these famous people – tough guy Humbrey Bogart, Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, Sammy Davis, Jr., R. J. Reynolds (founder of Reynolds Tobacco Co.), psychiatrist of all time Sigmund Freud, Farah Fawcett, Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple and Nobel Prize winner for Medicine Ralph Steinman – have in […]

Congress retains 15-years-old minimum age for criminal liability

 News
Jun 052013
 
Congress retains 15-years-old minimum age for criminal liability

Congress on Wednesday ratified proposed amendments to the country’s law on youth offenders without lowering the minimum age of criminal liability, which the existing legislation pegs at 15 years old. The ratified committee report on House Bill 6052 and Senate Bill 3324 proposed that children aged 12 to 15 who commit heinous crimes or repeatedly violate the law undergo community-based intervention programs in a residential facility. The House version of the bill originally proposed the lowering of the minimum age of criminal liability to 12 years old, but the Senate version prevailed. The amendments to Republic Act 9344 also provides the maximum penalty for those who exploit children for the commission of criminal offenses. The ratified bills also transfer the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council from the Department of Justice to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The council is the primary body in charge of implementing the country’s legislation on children in conflict with the law. — DVM, GMA News

Two Serendra probe focuses on LPG angle; Unit 501-B occupant's account may be crucial

 News
Jun 052013
 
Two Serendra probe focuses on LPG angle; Unit 501-B occupant's account may be crucial

Probers looking at gas leak as cause of Two Serendra blast. In this photo taken on Sunday, June 2 and released to GMA News on Tuesday, June 4, debris litter the area surrounding Unit 501-B of Two Serendra at the Global City in Taguig. A huge blast which probers said could have been caused by a gas leak in Unit 501-B on Friday, May 31, blew away a concrete slab which landed on a delivery van, killing the driver and his two helpers. GMA News/HO The May 31 explosion at the Two Serendra condominium complex damaged not just Unit 501-B.  Investigators have learned that Building B of the complex sustained extensive damage from the ground floor to the eighth floor as their probe now focuses on the angle that some sort of problem in the centralized liquefied petroleum gas piping system may have caused the explosion that killed three people. Interior Secretary Mar Roxas met with the investigators from various agencies and groups Wednesday, but he did not speak to media about what that meeting took up.   As this developed, initial information originating from the occupant of Unit 501-B indicate that the victim did not smell any gas while he was at the doorway of the condo unit when the explosion happened. In an interview with GMA News, Atty. Raymund Fortun, legal counsel of the victim and unit occupant of 501-B Angelito San Juan, said San Juan did not smell any gas at 501-B. Fortun said San Juan felt Read More …

Market intelligence seen as key to competitiveness

 Economy
Jun 052013
 
Market intelligence seen as key to competitiveness

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) has advised local entrepreneurs to prepare for the next wave of foreign brands that will enter the country, through constant retooling and market intelligence. Samie Lim, the recognized “Father of Philippine Franchising,” said the scheduled integration of Southeast Asia into a single market in 2015 presents a formidable challenge for existing businesses in the country to gear up and face tougher competition from other brands in the region. “It is but prudent for local brand owners to continuously check out competition and learn the latest trends globally. The PFA is aware of this, which is why we have put together anew a distinguished line-up of local and foreign experts that will speak in the two-day Franchise Asia Philippines 2013 International Conference at the SMX Convention Center on July 17 and 18,” Lim said. Lim, PFA chairman emeritus, will set the tone for the plenary session on day one of the conference by making a presentation on the “Global Franchise Trends and Opportunities.” The conference is a major component of the 4-in-1 Franchise Asia Philippines 2013, organized by PFA and co-presented with BPI Family Ka-Negosyo, PLDT SME Nation and Sun Cellular, the biggest and grandest franchising event in Asia today with its banner theme “Asia to the World, The World to Asia: Driving Growth Towards a Philippine Tiger Economy.” “This year’s line up of speakers will tackle the latest trends and developments in the franchise sector, local and international,” Franchise Asia Philippines 2013 Overall Read More …

Public spending in infra surges 45% in Jan-April

 Economy
Jun 052013
 
Public spending in infra surges 45% in Jan-April

MANILA, Philippines – Public spending on infrastructure and other capital outlays (CO) surged by nearly 45 percent in the first four months of the year to P75.2 billion, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) reported yesterday. During the period under review, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) spent around P40 billion for key infrastructure projects while other funds were allocated for the construction of irrigation systems, classrooms and other education facilities as well as hospitals and health centers across the country. Spending on maintenance and other operating expenditures (MOOE) grew 30.4 percent to P97.9 billion largely due to the government’s spending on preparatory activities for the 2013 national, local and ARMM elections as well as increased provisions to cover the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s conditional cash transfer program and the National Statistics Office’s conduct of Census of Agriculture and Fisheries. “Through our budget reforms and, consequently, the improved quality of public spending, we were able to fill out crucial resource and supply gaps that may have affected the country’s fast-growing industries. Our disbursement performance proves that the Aquino administration is on track in fulfilling its goal of strengthening the country’s infrastructure base,” said Budget Secretary Florencio Abad. Personal services rose 11.6 percent to P177.7 billion due largely to the salary adjustments of the last tranche of the Salary Standardization Law III, higher retirement and gratuity leave benefits, and payment for employees involved in the preparation activities for the just-concluded national elections. Operational subsidies to GOCCs Read More …

P-Noy renames BOT Center to PPP Center

 Economy
Jun 052013
 
P-Noy renames BOT Center to PPP Center

MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino has signed an executive order that reorganized and renamed the build-operate-transfer center to the Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines under the National Economic Development Authority. EO 136 states that that there is a “need to amend certain sections” in EO 8 series of 2010, removing from the Department of Trade and Industry the previous jurisdiction of handling the implementation of government-backed projects. This is for “budgetary purposes and administrative supervision.” Under Section 2, the PPP Center will also “manage and administer the Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF), formerly known as the Project Development Facility (PDF) established as a revolving fund under EO 44 series of 2002.” The PPP Center shall act as the secretariat of the PPP Governing Board – the overall policy-making body for all PPP-related matters, including the PDMF. “It shall be responsible for setting the strategic direction of the PPP Program and creating an enabling policy and institutional environment for PPP,” a portion of the EO read. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The PPP Board is headed by a chairman (Neda chief), a vice chairman (secretary of finance), with the secretaries of DBM, DOJ, DTI, executive secretary and private sector co-chairman of the National Competitiveness Council as members. The PPP Center will be headed by an executive director, whose rank will be equivalent to that of an undersecretary, who will be appointed by Aquino upon the recommendation of the NEDA director-general.

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