Pope prays for victims of Cebu sea tragedy

 News
Aug 192013
 
Pope prays for victims of Cebu sea tragedy

In his Angelus prayer on Sunday, Pope Francis asked the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pray for the victims of the ferry sinking in the waters off Cebu. “I would like to ask for prayers for the victims of the ferry sinking in the Philippines. Also for their families—so much sorrow,” he said in Italian. The Pope on Saturday sent a telegram of condolence to Cebu Archbishop and outgoing Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Jose Palma. Last Friday’s collision of the passenger vessel MV Saint Thomas Aquinas 1 of 2GO Shipping with the cargo ship MV Sulpicio Express 7 of Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corp. resulted in the former’s sinking and has so far claimed 56 lives. — with a report from Reuters/BM, GMA News

De Lima to Napoles: Surrender, prove innocence in court

 Entertainment
Aug 192013
 

MANILA  (Mabuhay) — Embattled businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, the alleged brains behind the multi-billion scam involving the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers and the P900-million Malampaya Fund mess, is now a high-profile fugitive from justice. Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said on Tuesday that efforts by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to […]

Bam Aquino vows not to use pork until charges are filed vs. scammers

 News
Aug 192013
 
Bam Aquino vows not to use pork until charges are filed vs. scammers

Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV on Monday said he will not use his P200-million “pork barrel” allocation until charges are filed against those linked to the alleged scam involving these discretionary funds. In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Aquino said his decision to suspend the use of his pork barrel funds is in response to the “public clamor” against these controversial funds. “People are already getting impatient—and that’s a good thing.The clamor only means that people have come to expect more from their government, and it’s good because it means they’re serious about good governance,” Aquino said. “To show that we’re equally serious about the matter, we’re suspending the use of our office’s own PDAF,” the neophyte lawmaker added. Aquino made this announcement a month after the Philippine Daily Inquirer ran a series of reports detailing how fake civil society groups supposedly used pork barrel funds of some senators and House members to fund ghost projects worth P10 billion. The National Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Ombudsman are currently conducting separate probes of the alleged anomaly. Last Friday, the COA released its report showing that over P6 billion from “pork barrel” funds went to questionable non-government organizations from 2007 to 2009. Aquino, a first cousin of President Benigno Aquino III, also called for “clearer and stricter” guidelines on the use of the pork barrel fund, formally known as the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Earlier this month, President Aquino said he is not Read More …

Kim Chiu on cloud nine after movie earns P100M

 Entertainment
Aug 192013
 

Actress Kim Chiu could not contain her happiness when she learned that her movie with Xian Lim already breached the P100-million mark less than three weeks since it was released. Chiu said all her hard work paid off as moviegoers lined up to see “Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo.” “Nakakatuwa, nakakaiyak, ang saya-saya. […]

Philippine floods kill three, paralyse capital

 General
Aug 192013
 
Philippine floods kill three, paralyse capital

At least three people have died in the Philippines after torrential rain engulfed parts of the main island of Luzon including Manila where neck-deep water swept through homes forcing thousands into emergency shelters. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said mountainous areas to the north of the island were experiencing floods of 1.8 metres (six feet), following persistent rain that began at the weekend. One person was killed in a storm-related car accident in the northern Apayao mountain region while a child was crushed by a collapsing wall and a man drowned in towns just outside the capital. Four other people are missing including three washed away by floods and overflowing rivers and a local female tourist who got lost while exploring a cave in the northern resort town of Sagada. In the capital Manila, a megacity of 12 million people, schools, government offices and the stock exchange were closed as a red alert was raised in the morning — the highest level of a warning system in which widespread floods are predicted. “We are trying to save whatever we can. But it was so sudden,” J.R Pascual, a father-of-four, told AFP as he tried to take the most important possessions from his home that was flooded up to his waist. “My neighbour wasn’t even able to get his car out.” Pascual lives in a middle-class district of Cavite, a coastal area that is about 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the heart of Manila. Roads from Cavite and Read More …

Banks cancel operations due to heavy rain, flooding

 Economy
Aug 192013
 
Banks cancel operations due to heavy rain, flooding

MANILA, Philippines – At least three banks canceled operations on Monday in light of heavy rains and flooding in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces. Security Bank announced the suspension of its branches’ operations in Metro Manila and several areas in Luzon affected by typhoon Maring. “Customers from affected areas can still access their accounts thru ATMs (automated teller machines) and its eBanking Facility,” it said. The bank added that it can be reached through 88-791-88 should customers need additional assistance. Bando de Oro Unibank similarly suspended its operations in Metro Manila and some areas in Rizal and Cavite, Bulacan and Laguna. Meanwhile, Land Bank of the Philippines canceled the operations of its Metro Manila branches after 12 p.m. It noted, however, that its ATM branches remain operational 24/7. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), on the other hand, said it will be business as usual for its head office and Luzon branches until 3 p.m. today. BPI branches and offices in Visayas and Mindanao will remain open up to 4:30 p.m. “This will give our customers ample time to fulfill their banking transactions for the day and also allow our employees enough time to go home early,” it said. It added that its ATM branches and online services remain operational.

File bankruptcy – Rebuild credit.

 Entertainment
Aug 192013
 

After a debtor receives a discharge in bankruptcy, creditors whose debts are discharged are required to report that the account has a zero balance. The bankruptcy itself is a public record and stays on your credit report for 10 years, but as you will see from this article, this is not all bad. A debtor […]

US health expert raises alarm over rampant TB cases in Philippines

 News
Aug 182013
 
US health expert raises alarm over rampant TB cases in Philippines

By Julliane De JesusINQUIRER.net 10:07 am | Monday, August 19th, 2013 Dr. L. Masae Kawamura, former president of the North American Region of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, told reporters in press forum on Aug. 15, 2013, about the rising statistics of Filipino patients suffering from TB who are migrating to the United States. She said large proportion of tuberculosis patients in the US are Asians, most of them Filipinos.  MANILA, Philippines—A large proportion of tuberculosis patients in the US are Asians, most of them Filipinos, a San-Francisco based medical expert has disclosed. Dr. L. Masae Kawamura, former president of the North American Region of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, told reporters last week about the rising statistics of Filipino patients suffering from TB who are migrating to the United States. She said Thursday in a press forum that TB is an “outcome of poor public health.” She appealed to the local government and health offices to prioritize early TB screening and bolster treatment in the country. “The Philippines exports more tuberculosis patients than import at this point… TB is a disease of poverty and migration, and urbanization [because] people are moving from the rural countryside to the big cities like Manila,” said Kawamura. Ranking second in Asia, the Philippines recorded high TB mortality rate next to Cambodia based on the World Health Organization (WHO) tuberculosis report. Among tuberculosis-afflicted persons, 59 percent came from Asia, the report said. Kawamura said that tuberculosis can be Read More …

EM ASIA FX-Taiwan dollar, won, ringgit firmer

 News
Aug 182013
 
EM ASIA FX-Taiwan dollar, won, ringgit firmer

Aug 19 (Reuters) – The following table shows the position of Asian currencies against the dollar at 0140 GMT. CURRENCIES VS U.S. DOLLAR Change on the day at 0140 GMT Currency Latest bid Previous day Pct Move Japan yen 97.41 97.54 +0.13 Sing dlr 1.2709 1.2703 -0.05 Taiwan dlr 29.931 30.002 +0.24 Korean won 1112.00 1113.60 +0.14 Baht 31.30 31.27 -0.10 *Peso 43.64 43.64 +0.00 Rupiah 10380.00 10380.00 +0.00 Rupee 61.65 61.65 -0.00 Ringgit 3.2750 3.2770 +0.06 Yuan 6.1141 6.1150 +0.01 Change so far in 2013 Currency Latest bid End prev year Pct Move Japan yen 97.41 86.79 -10.90 Sing dlr 1.2709 1.2219 -3.86 Taiwan dlr 29.931 29.136 -2.66 Korean won 1112.00 1070.60 -3.72 Baht 31.30 30.61 -2.20 Peso 43.64 41.05 -5.93 Rupiah 10380.00 9630.00 -7.23 Rupee 61.65 54.99 -10.80 Ringgit 3.2750 3.0580 -6.63 Yuan 6.1141 6.2303 +1.90 * Philippines suspended local financial market trading due to heavy rains and floods. (Reporting by Jongwoo Cheon in SINGAPORE)

 Older Entries  Newer Entries