ACTOR Enrique Gil decided to take things slow when it comes to his career in the entertainment business and proud of what he has achieved thus far. “Yun naman talaga yung gusto ko, yung alam nila kung saan ka nanggagaling. Hindi parang isang show lang, after that wala na. Learn slowly,” he said. The actor […]
Rain may fall over parts of Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon as well as Mindanao on Saturday, as a potential cyclone—a low-pressure area (LPA)—moved closer to southern Mindanao Friday afternoon, state weather forecasters said. PAGASA said the LPA was estimated at 960 km east of southern Mindanao as of 4 p.m., even as a weak southwest monsoon will affect the western section of Luzon. “The provinces of Zambales, Bataan, Batangas, Mindoro, Palawan, Surigao, and Davao Oriental will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms,” PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. bulletin. It added Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be “partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.” Earlier, PAGASA said there is still a chance the LPA may intensify into a cyclone as it is still at sea and can gather strength. Saturday outlook PAGASA said moderate to strong winds from the southwest to south will prevail over the western section of Luzon and the coastal waters along this area will be moderate to rough. Light to moderate winds coming from the southeast to south will prevail over the rest of Luzon and from the northeast to northwest over Visayas and Mindanao with slight to moderate seas. Meanwhile, PAGASA said strong to gale-force winds associated with the southwest monsoon may affect the western seaboard of northern and Central Luzon. “Fishing boats and other small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels Read More …
A total of 605 out of 940 passed the Nutritionist-Dietitian Licensure Examination given in Manila and Zamboanga last month, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced Friday. [Click here for the complete list of passers.] The PRC said registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will be on August 22 and 23, 2013. The date and venue for the oathtaking ceremony of the new successful examinees, however, will be announced later. — KBK, GMA News
The United States Senate may have done it, but at least two Philippine senators do not see the need to pass a resolution expressing concern about China’s actions in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who held backchannel talks with Chinese officials last year, said passing a resolution similar to the one approved by the US Senate’s foreign relations committee is “unnecessary” because the matter has already been brought to a United Nations (UN) arbitration tribunal. “It [A resolution] will be redundant since our President, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, have already articulated our foreign policy on the matter,” Trillanes, who chairs the Senate national defense committee, said in a text message. The US Senate passed on Monday a resolution listing several worrying Chinese behavior, including Beijing’s move to issue an official map defining the contested West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) as within its national border. On Friday, China opposed the passing of the US Senate resolution, and announced that it has filed a formal complaint against the US for the action of its legislature. ‘No difference’ Last January, the Philippines brought its territorial dispute with China before the UN tribunal, asking Beijing “to desist from unlawful activities that violate the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). China is asserting its historial claim on the entire West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). The Philippines, however, is claiming its ownership Read More …
Senators and congressmen should make their State of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) available instead of hiding them, a Malacañang spokesperson said Friday. “Depende po kung sino ‘yung hinihingan nung SALN because if Commissioner Kim [Henares] has the list, then these lawmakers should be aware that they can and should make their SALNs available,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said during a press conference. Valte issued the statement after Bureau of Internal Revenue chief Kim Jacinto-Henares was quoted by Radyo Inquirer as saying that they have made several requests to lawmakers but that they have not yet released their SALNs to them. This development came amid the alleged involvement of some lawmakers in the funneling of state funds to bogus groups. — Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMA News
MANILA, Philippines – The group that brought the popular Singaporean chain BreadTalk in the country is also bringing Korean fried chicken restaurant chain Kyochon here. In a briefing on Friday in Makati, businessman Wilson Chu said Kyochon will initally open nine stores in the Philippines and its first store will be located somewhere in Greenbelt in Makati. Target opening of the first store is December. Besides BreadTalk, Chu’s group was responsible for bringing ToastBox Philippines, Banana Leaf Curry House Inc., Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen Philippines and Chops Chicago Steak House Inc. Chu’s group meanwhile also brought Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to the country through a joint venture with a partner. It also operates No. 8 Chinese Bistro, Royal Sporting House, and Academy of Rock Inc. Kyochon operates 950 stores in South Korea and has expanded to the US and other countries in Asia such as China, Thailand and Indonesia. Restaurants in Camboadia, Myanmar and Laos will also be opened. By 2020, the restaurant is tageting to have 10,000 stores worldwide. “You can say we are a little ambitious,” Chu said of the restaurant’s plan to become the number one fried chicken restaurant in the country. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Chu added that their offering would be priced a little higher than BonChon, the first Korean fried chicken restaurant in the Philippines. He cited their experience when they brought in CBTL to the Philippines and priced their coffee at P5 higher per cup than those sold Read More …
MANILA, Philippines – The central bank is monitoring where funds from special deposit accounts (SDA) are being diverted after a “massive” outflow as a result of lower returns and stricter placement rules, an official said. “We have already seen a massive reduction on SDA balances over time,” central bank Assistant Governor Johnny Noe Ravalo told reporters on Friday. “What does that mean? That is where the current review is being taken from a financial standpoint…It is incumbent upon us to monitor all these flows,” he added. Idle money from the SDA— fixed-term deposits by banks and trust departments— began to drop last month after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) slashed the interest it offers by 150 basis points to two percent. As a result, investors shifted their money to higher earning investment outlets such as government securities. As of July 12, SDA placements totaled P1.8 trillion, still down from its peak of P1.983 trillion last April 15, but higher than the P1.738 trillion two weeks before. According to Ravalo, trust entities have complied with another BSP rule ordering them to retire 30 percent of investment management accounts (IMA)— funds held for a singular person— by the end of last month. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 A complete phase-out of IMAs by Nov. 30 was also ordered by the BSP. BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo, in a text message, said the reduction in SDA placements from April to June has already contributed to money supply (M3) Read More …
1:14 pm | Friday, August 2nd, 2013 The BRP Ramon Alcaraz is the second Hamilton-class cutter that was acquired by the Philippine Navy under the Foreign Military Sales Program of the United States. The ship was named after Philippine Navy Commodore Ramon Alcaraz, a World War II hero who commanded the Philippine Offshore Patrol’s Q-Boat Q-112 Abra which shot down three Japanese aircraft. US EMBASSY PHOTO RELEASE MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines’ second warship acquired from the US, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, was welcomed by local fishing vessels off Aurora as it entered the Philippine waters early Friday. “After almost two months of long journey from South Carolina, we can now confidently say that she BRP Alcaraz is finally home,” the Philippine Navy in its official blog announced. The arrival of the second Hamilton-class came amid a tense territorial dispute between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). The warship, which sailed in the Pacific Ocean from South Carolina for almost two months, was welcomed through a “sail past.” It was carrying 88 officers and crew. The BRP Ramon Alcaraz left the US last June 10. The Philippines acquired from the US Coast Guard its first Hamilton cutter in May 2011 and named it BRP Gregorio del Pilar. The BRP Alcaraz is expected to anchor in Subic Bay on Sunday. A formal welcome ceremony will be held at Alava Wharf at Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Zambales on Tuesday. “Tomorrow is a special day for them. They Read More …
HONG KONG — Asian stocks advanced Friday after a report that U.S. manufacturing activity jumped last month, raising hopes of a rebound in industrial production that would bolster growth in the world’s biggest economy. Investors were pleased after the Institute for Supply Management’s purchasing managers’ index rose much higher than expected in July. They were also optimistic ahead of key U.S. data releases expected later Friday that they hoped would add further evidence of a strengthening U.S. recovery. “Holy smokes,” economists at Singapore’s DBS Bank wrote in a research note. They noted that the report comes after other recent upbeat U.S. data, including second-quarter growth that was better than expected and a surge in durable goods orders. “Payrolls and the unemployment rate are on tap today. If these green shoots — or rocket ships in the case of the ISM — spill over to the labor market, there’s going to be a party at the Fed. And on Pennsylvania Avenue. Wall Street.” Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 1.4 percent to 14,203.02. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.5 percent to 22,201.85 while in mainland China, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.8 percent to 2,046.59. South Korea’s Kospi was up 0.4 percent to 1,928.76 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.9 percent to 5,105.60. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 On Thursday, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.8 percent to close at 15,628.02. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 1.3 percent to 1,706.87 while the Nasdaq composite Read More …
By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 6:55 am | Friday, August 2nd, 2013 Foreign Affairs secretary Alberto del Rosario. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines has accepted US President Barack Obama’s nomination of the next ambassador to Manila pending the latter’s confirmation in the US Congress, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said on Thursday. This developed as the nomination of Assistant Secretary Philip Goldberg, current head of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), has raised concerns among militant groups given his expulsion from Bolivia, his last overseas assignment. “We’ve already issued the agreement and I think he will be going through the US Senate. So we’re hopeful … we think that he will be a very good ambassador,” Del Rosario said, referencing to the document that incoming chiefs of mission present to their host countries as a diplomatic courtesy. He said he had not met Goldberg, a career diplomat, not even during his stint as Philippine ambassador to the United States. Asked about concerns about the envoy’s record in Bolivia, Del Rosario replied: “I don’t want to comment on that because I don’t know the circumstances.” Militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) is wary of Goldberg’s nomination, saying it “may signal intensified US intervention in PH affairs as the US moves more troops and ships toward Asia under its strategic pivot.” Goldberg was booted out of La Paz in 2008, two years into his term as US ambassador, after Bolivian President Evo Morales, a known Read More …