December 2013 – Page 17

2014 Nissan Sentra features extensive list of refinements for the new model year – pricing starts at $15,990

Dec 142013

The 2014 Nissan Sentra’s performance enhancements include a reduction of engine noise, more responsive steering feel, reduced body roll, increased ride comfort, and enhanced acceleration feel through retuning of the Xtronic CVT®, including the addition of a D-Mode step shift program. NASHVILLE – With the books on the all-new Nissan Sentra compact sedan’s highly successful first year now closed– with sales up 16.6 percent (calendar year-to-date versus 2012 CYTD) – Nissan today announced pricing and an extensive list of refinements and enhancements for the 2014 Sentra. It is on sale now at Nissan dealers nationwide. “Though totally revised just last year with a ‘class above’ look and feel inside and out, at Nissan we continuously strive to make our great vehicles even better,” said Fred Diaz, divisional vice president, Nissan Sales & Marketing, Service & Parts, Nissan North America, Inc. “With Sentra, we looked at every aspect of the vehicle – chassis, handling, quietness, fabrics and other critical customer touchpoints – and dialed things up to a higher level of refinement.” The evolution of Sentra includes a wide range of changes designed to provide an even more rewarding driver and passenger experience. For example, Sentra’s available NissanConnect with Navigation now includes all-new NissanConnect Apps smartphone integration for iPhone and Android, allowing the user to connect with Pandora, iHeartRadio, Facebook and more. It also has improved voice recognition and one-shot destination entry. In addition to the new app integration, the NissanConnect™ with Navigation system’s capabilities now include SiriusXM Travel Link (fuel prices, Read More …

Soliman dismisses reports food donation not reaching survivors

Entertainment

Dec 142013

Soliman dismisses reports food donation not reaching survivors

U.S. and Philippine military personnel prepare boxes containing tent material from U.S. relief organization USAID to be deployed by airlift to the victims of super typhoon Haiyan, at a Manila airport November 13, 2013. Philippine officials have been overwhelmed by Haiyan, one of the strongest typhoons on record, which tore through the central Philippines on Friday and flattened Tacloban, coastal capital of Leyte province where officials had feared 10,000 people died, many drowning in a tsunami-like wall of seawater. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman on Wednesday dismissed new reports from the foreign media that food donations and other essential relief supplies are not reaching “Yolanda” victims in the Visayas Region. During Wednesday’s briefing at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, she said helicopters from the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and foreign military contingents have ensured that food and other essentials have reached the most far-flung barangays in the affected regions. “Helicopter deliveries are even done with the PAF and other foreign assets in some hard-to-reach barangays. In fact, the helicopter that crashed in La Paz, Leyte last December 6 was carrying two DSWD volunteers who were doing relief work. Both sustained various injuries but are now being given medical attention,” Soliman stressed. The DSWD chief added that regular spot checking and monitoring of relief works in affected areas are being conducted to ensure goods are delivered directly to the affected individuals. Read More …

Vilma Santos: I filed SOCE before deadline

General

Dec 142013

Vilma Santos: I filed SOCE before deadline

Vilma Santos (MNS Photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Batangas Governor Vilma Santos Recto on Thursday said she is surprised by the Commission on Elections order asking her to vacate her post for failure to file her statement of election contributions and expenditures (SOCE). Recto said she filed her SOCE on June 6 before the Comelec’s deadline for submission. “Gusto ko lang sabihin na ako ay nag file. In fact, I have the certificate of compliance. Nauna pa kami nag file sa deadline, June 6 when I filed my SOCE. Nagulat lang po. We did not get any letter kung meron pong naging problema. We did not get any letter from the Comelec. Kung nalaman namin na may problema, sana nagawan namin ng correction,” she said. She said she asked her lawyers to check why she was included in the Comelec order. She said she never had a complaint about her SOCE in previous elections. “The lawyer is taking care of it. Kung meron pagkakamali sa form or sa signature, I don’t think magiging problema naman,” she said. Recto is one of more than 400 officials being asked to vacate their posts for failure to submit their SOCEs on time. Brillantes said the elected officials failed to comply with the law by either 1) failing to submit a SOCE 2) failing to sign the submitted SOCE or 3) submitting a signed SOCE that was not in the proper form. Under the poll body’s agreement with the Department of the Interior and Local Read More …

Month-long Davao City-wide sale slated

General

Dec 132013

TOURISM and retail players announced yesterday the first month-long city-wide sale in the Philippines that is set from March to April 2014. The Big Davao Fun Sale was announced in yesterday’s press conference called by the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) at SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier. In a briefer, the month long event will offer sale for different products weekly, to wit: March 16-23 for health and beauty products; March 24-30 for electronics and gadgets, March 31 to April 6 for home appliances and travel, and April 7 to 16 for active lifestyle and fashion. DOT assistant secretary and DOT regional director Arturo Boncato Jr., in a statement said this is DOT’s response to the city’s growth in retail industry. It is also aimed to improve the image of Davao as a destination for business and investments. “We invite tourists to come here during the event since Davao City in one of the few cities in the country that have stores that are not yet found or unique from those in Manila and Cebu,” he said. Participating malls are Abreeza-Ayala Malls, Gaisano Grand Mall, Gaisano Mall of Davao, Gaisano Mall of Toril, NCCC Mall, Robinson’s, SM City Davao, and SM Lanang Premier. This is also in cooperation with the Davao City Government and the Philippine Retailers Association while Cebu Pacific is their official airline partner. “Cebu Pacific will also be offering seat sales to so those who want to enjoy the event. We will be announcing the sale in Read More …

Meat-Free Favorites : Sweet Cinnamon Biscuits

Entertainment

Dec 132013

Meat-Free Favorites : Sweet Cinnamon Biscuits

By Elena Johnson These dairy-free sweet biscuits pair well with coffee or tea and make the whole house smell wonderful as they bake! Sweet Cinnamon Biscuits 12 biscuits ¾ cup soy milk ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar 2 cups pancake/baking mix ¼ cup brown sugar 2 ½ tsp. cinnamon, divided 2 Tbsp. margarine 2 tsp. granulated sugar Mix soy milk and vinegar together, set aside. Spray muffin pan with oil or cooking spray. Combine baking mix, brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a large bowl, breaking up any large chunks of brown sugar. Add soy milk mixture and stir gently, but thoroughly. Drop biscuit batter into prepared muffin pan – do not press batter down into pan. Bake at 450°F for 8 – 10 minutes until tops are brown and a knife inserted into biscuits comes out clean. Meanwhile, melt margarine and set aside. Mix together granulated sugar and remaining cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. When biscuits are done baking, remove from the oven and brush tops with melted margarine. Then liberally sprinkle each biscuit with cinnamon sugar. Serve warm. About the Author Elena Johnson is a second-generation Filipino American living in Baltimore, MD. As a vegan chef and caterer she has been reinventing her family’s recipes and sharing them with friends, relatives, and those interested in vegetarian cooking. Elena is also the Special Projects Manager at Compassion Over Killing, a national animal advocacy organization focusing on cruelty to animals in agriculture and promoting vegetarian eating Read More …

Iza Calzado denies engagement rumors

Entertainment

Dec 132013

Iza Calzado (MNS Photo) Actress Iza Calzado denied that she and her non-showbiz boyfriend are set to tie the knot in two to three years. “Who said [that]? Excuse me,” Calzado said. “Not anytime soon. I’m not engaged.” The actress explained that people may have gotten the wrong impression when her boyfriend gave her gifts at a recent party. “He was giving me things, parang ‘Bachelorette,’ ‘Bachelor,’ is that it?” she said, referring to the popular dating reality show. “Things are coming in, like this pin symbolizes your ganyan.” Calzado made it clear that her boyfriend is not the type who would propose in front of other people. “’Di ‘yun magpro-propose sa harap ng maraming tao. ‘Di nga niya ma-gets ‘yung concept na sabi niya, ‘I don’t have friends who have proposed publicly.’ I said it’s a very Filipino thing to propose in front of your family and friends,” she said. Calzado, 30, has been repeatedly asked about her supposed plans of settling down, but the actress has consistently denied tying the knot anytime soon. “Not that I don’t want to, it’s just that it’s not yet time,” she said. (MNS)

P15-M: Aquino’s budget for ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit

Entertainment

Dec 132013

P15-M: Aquino’s budget for ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit

President Benigno S. Aquino III presides over the Cabinet Meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room of the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday (December 10). (MNS photo) MANILA, Dec 12 (Mabuhay) – The government is spending P15 million for President Benigno S. Aquino III’s bilateral meetings and participation in the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit from December 12 to 14 in Tokyo, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said on Thursday. President Aquino left this morning for Tokyo via a chartered flight, along with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Transportation and Communications Secretary Emilio Abaya, Presidential Management Staff head Julia Andrea Abad, Presidential Protocol chief Celia Anna Feria and Press Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. The expenses cover transportation, accommodation, food and equipment, among other requirements, of the President and his 57-member official delegation. “The participation of President Aquino in the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit will further strengthen our relationship with Japan, a long-time ally and strategic partner in trade, tourism and labor,” Ochoa said. According to Ochoa, the President is expected to deliver a statement during the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit scheduled on Saturday at the Akasaka State Guest House. The Chief Executive is set to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Prime Minister’s official residence for bilateral discussion on disaster management, economic and maritime cooperation, and progress on the Mindanao peace process. The President’s schedule also includes a social call by Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda and a courtesy call by Read More …

Aquino orders faster relief for calamitiy-affected areas

Entertainment

Dec 132013

Aquino orders faster relief for calamitiy-affected areas

President Benigno S. Aquino III congratulates Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery former Senator Panfilo Lacson after administering the oath in a ceremony at the President’s Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday (December 10). The “rehabilitation czar” is the man in charge to oversee the overall efforts being undertaken by the national government in reconstructing the areas destroyed by super typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas region. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – President Benigno S. Aquino III ordered the Cabinet to speed up the restoration of the economic and social conditions of the calamities-affected areas with the release of 238.6 million pesos to the National Housing Authority (NHA) for the construction of permanent housing units for affected families, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said. “The President directed the Cabinet yesterday to fast-track the restoration of the economic and social conditions of the affected areas, following the ‘build back better’ principle, with emphasis on attaining a higher degree of disaster resilience,” Coloma said during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday. Coloma said the President emphasized the need to speed up the process of enabling the people in the affected areas to rebuild their homes and resume productive livelihood and employment activities in communities that are fortified and protected from the harsh impact of natural disasters. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad reported on Tuesday the release of P238.6 million to the NHA for the construction of permanent housing units for low and marginal-income families and informal settlers Read More …

The poor in the U.S. gives ‘till it hurts’

Entertainment

Dec 132013

The poor in the U.S. gives ‘till it hurts’

by Rey Andres GOLGOTHA, JERUSALEM: Pilgrims from the U.S. to the “place of skull in Golgotha, Jerusalem where Jesus’ body was given the rightful pre-burial customary treatment marvel at the slab where the ceremony took place. Christians worldwide will celebrate His birth on December 25 amid the tumultuous state of the world that He offered Himself to save. Super Typhoon Yolanda (aka Haiyan) visited Southern Philippines in November when excitement was building up in anticipation of the Christmas season. Known for their religiosity, the Philippines owns distinction of celebrating the longest season of merry making and commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The November 8 short visit of the strongest howler in history to the impoverished coastline community villages brought untold miseries and destruction that will cost billions to recover from and years to heal the emotional scars brought by thousands of deaths. As quick as the visit was, the world responded with astonishing promptness to alleviate the suffering of millions who were simply unprepared for such a destructive visitor whose wrath deprived them of hope for the future. Emergency response plans were immediately deployed even if the host county appeared in utter bewilderment on the magnitude of the devastation not seen before. Typhoon Haiyan brought the world to scramble to help the Philippines as the devastation became apparent. Countries and organizations lined up to offer help. The United Nations agencies in the Philippines, with the help of its humanitarian partners and other responders came to “assess the situation Read More …

Camille Prats finds new love

Entertainment

Dec 132013

Camille Prats (MNS Photo) Actress Camille Prats has found a new love two years after her husband Anthony Linsangan died of cancer. In her official Instagram account, Prats shared her happiness as she and boyfriend JJ Yambao celebrated their first anniversary. “Thank you for a fruitful and memorable year. Meeting you is definitely one of the most beautiful things life has given me. You came into my life the least I expected it, and I couldn’t be any happier. Thank you for saving me. For being my knight in shining armor. Cheers to our 1st year, forever more to go. belated happy 1st love. (love, love, love) @jjyambao1,” Prats wrote. For his part, Yambao similarly expressed his love for Prats – also on Instagram. “To the woman who holds my heart, happy first year with you!! May we have endless years and happiness together for the rest of our lives. There is nothing more i will ask because you showed me the best in the world. I loved you yesterday, i love you still, I always have… I always will. Happy anniversary mahal!!!@camilleprats,” he wrote. Prats and Linsangan, who were married twice, had a civil wedding in Los Angeles on January 5, 2008, while their church wedding was held on March 5, 2010. They have a son, Nathaniel Caesar. (MNS)

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