MANILA — MoneyGram (NASDAQ:MGI), a leading global money transfer company, announced today it renewed its exclusive agreement with Robin Padilla as its brand ambassador. Last year, MoneyGram unveiled its collaboration with the Filipino movie personality during the launch of its “Moneygrado sa MoneyGram” campaign, which targets Filipino senders and receivers around the world. “Robin Padilla has […]
By Marlon RamosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:53 pm | Monday, July 29th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines — Intelligence operatives of the police and the military have arrested a suspected sub-leader of the Abu Sayyaf who had allegedly found a new life as an overseas Filipino worker in Saudi Arabia. Sali Basal Taib, alias Gong-gong Sali and Abu Husni, was among the Abu Sayyaf bandits involved in the Lamitan, Basilan, siege in 2001, Director Francisco Uyami, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said Monday. Uyami said Taib was arrested by CIDG and Army personnel in Payatas, Quezon City, on July 25 after he brought his son to school. Taib was facing a string of kidnapping cases in Basilan and carried a P5.3-million reward for his arrest, he added. “He was able to leave the country using (fake documents) and worked as electrician in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,” Uyami said in a news briefing at Camp Crame. “Like other Abu Sayyaf bandits, (Taib) left Basilan and lived a normal life. He had just returned to the country for a vacation and to observe Ramadan. Fortunately, we were able to get information about his whereabouts,” he said. Taib’s arrest was covered by arrest warrants separately issued by Isabela City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 1 Judge Leo Jay Principe and Isabela RTC Branch 2 Judge Danilo Bucoy. According to Uyami, Taib was one of the heavily-armed bandits who ran over the town of Lamitan and occupied the Don Jose Torres Memorial Hospital in 2001. Read More …
Agence France-Presse 4:59 pm | Monday, July 29th, 2013 INQUIRER.net file photo HONG KONG — Hong Kong authorities said Monday they had arrested two women in possession of more than a dozen kilograms of crystal methamphetamine at the city’s airport. The women, sisters aged 27 and 31, were seized Sunday at Chek Lap Kok airport on their way to Clark in the Philippines. Airport authorities discovered they were carrying 14.5 kilograms (32 pounds) of “ice”, according to a customs official, who withheld their nationality. The drugs, worth HK$10.9 million ($1.4 million), were found concealed inside false compartments of three suitcases carrying men’s clothing, Customs Drug Investigation head Hui Wai-ming told reporters. “The weight of the suitcase was a bit abnormal,” Hui said, adding that the drugs could have been sold for more than two times the Hong Kong price in the Philippines. Crystal methamphetamine creates a feeling of euphoria and increased confidence but hallucinations and paranoia are potential side-effects. It has become a drug of choice for young addicts in Asia. Under Hong Kong law, manufacturing and trafficking dangerous drugs carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of five million Hong Kong dollars. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: Crime , Drug Smuggling , Global Nation , Read More …
By Matikas SantosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 3:07 pm | Monday, July 29th, 2013 Nigerian Foreign Minister Olugbenga Ayodeji Ashiru visits the country to meet with DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario. He expressed satisfaction with the meeting and hopes that the two countries will be able to improve economic ties. MANILA, Philippines – The Nigerian Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction with his recent visit to the Philippines to meet with his counterpart in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). “Very satisfied. We believe this will enable us to develop relations to a much higher level between our two countries,” Nigerian Foreign Minister Olugbenga Ayodeji Ashiru told reporters in an ambush interview Monday after his meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario. He said that they discussed improving economic cooperation between the two countries in the sectors of energy, agriculture and manufacturing in Nigeria. “We have identified areas where Nigeria and the Philippines can best cooperate in this economic level, one of these is power sector. We are already [know of a] Filipino company [that established] a partnership with a Nigerian company [and] won the bid for power generation in the south west [region of Nigeria],” Ashiru said. “We believe this will also propel the Filipino companies to make inroads into Nigeria. Already there are some of them that have established presence in Nigeria and they are doing very well in the manufacturing sector,” he said. Ashiru said that he raised concerns about Nigerian nationals who are in the country but have yet Read More …
By Fe P. Koons Hollywood, CA – A large number of Filipino Americans came to support the fashion show of awesome designer Alan Del Rosario at the Supper Club in Hollywood last July 21 to raise funds for the Apl of My Eye Campaign, a project of the Apl.de.ap Foundation International and Mending Kids International. […]
Celeb esthetician to do hydrafacials for lucky clients Aug. 18 at M Beauty Glendale MOST of her fans know her as a movie actress, singer, beauty titlist, model, and mom to two boys. Recently, she has been making waves as a DJ with the monicker “G-Love.” TFC viewers may also have caught her inviting ladies […]
SUBSIDIES to state firms more than doubled year on year in the first semester as the government disbursed more financial assistance in that period.
THE ENERGY department is set to conduct public consultations next month for the increase of biodiesel blend to 5% from the current 2%, an official told reporters on Thursday last week.
DEATH is almost always unplanned but an event that we should all prepare for, whether we believe in an afterlife or not. Hell, after all, is not just a spiritual concept, but an unfortunate reality that heirs of a decedent usually experience when there is no plan for the settlement of his or her estate and for the payment of taxes that will fall due from the transfer of assets to the heirs.
Janet Altamarino, chief executive of Ultimate Visa Corporation, is committed to providing Filipinos with a legitimate visa processing service and is the only agency that caters to all visas to other countries. MANILA, Philippines – When life gives you lemons, you can become just as bitter, or you can make lemonade, as the saying goes. Janet Altamarino, chief executive of Ultimate Visa Corporation, did exactly the latter — she made a lot of lemonade, only on a grander scale. Ultimate Visa is the leading visa and immigration consultancy in the Philippines that she and her partner, Atty. Jonnah John B. Ungab, started in Cebu City five years ago. Today, they have already established a second headquarters in Makati City, and have recently been dubbed the Most Trusted Immigration Services Company by the National Consumers’ Choice Awards Council. Altamarino wanted to explore greener pastures abroad as a young graduate. After entrusting her savings to a visa-processing firm, the company disappeared. It happened two more times before she learned her lesson. “You turn the misfortune into an opportunity when you experience difficulties instead of crying over it,” she says. After hearing similar tales, she went on a quest to help other visa applicants in their processing — never again would they be conned. “Most applicants forego the background check on agencies. They sell their business, their assets, others pawn their family home and farmland, and then nothing happens with their applications,” explains Altamarino. “It’s heartbreaking.” “I wanted the opportunity to put up Read More …