THE GOVERNMENT and AF Consortium yesterday signed the concession agreement for the P1.72-billion Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS), with a senior cabinet official saying that protests from a losing bidder will no longer be entertained.
POWER Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) has declared Therma Power Visayas, Inc. — a unit of Aboitiz Power Corp. — the highest bidder for the 153.1-megawatt (MW) power plant complex in Naga City, Cebu.
AS the April 15 filing deadline of income tax returns (ITRs) for taxable year 2013 draws near, taxpayers are advised to prepare as early as now rather than suffer the inconveniences encountered when trying to beat the deadline.
2014 Mitsubishi Mirage ES Cypress, California – Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) has seen its all-new 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage 5-door hatchback take overall top honors by finishing in first place in Cars.com’s latest “Top 10 New Cars for Penny Pinchers” list. In its evaluation, Cars.com utilized key data points in its assessment, including a vehicle’s starting price, combined EPA fuel mileage rating and estimated cost for fuel over the first eight years of ownership to determine its rankings. In the very important eight-year cost for fuel metric, Cars.com determined that the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage would save consumers nearly $1,000 in fuel costs when compared to the vehicle that finished in second place, and more than $2,000 over many of the other “Top 10” finishers. The 2014 Mirage delivers impressive fuel economy with an EPA fuel mileage rating of 37 mpg city/44 mpg highway/40 mpg combined. Important standard safety features include 7 air bags (including driver’s side knee air bag), Active Stability Control (ASC) and Mitsubishi Motors’ patented Reinforced Impact Safety Evolution (RISE) body/chassis construction. Additional peace of mind is delivered through Mitsubishi Motors’ exceptional warranty that includes a 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, 5-year/60,000-mile new vehicle basic limited warranty, 5-year/unlimited miles roadside assistance and 7-year/100,000-mile anti-corrosion limited warranty. If you want to know why the Mitsubishi is up in its sales and why the Outlander is America’s top Mitsubishi vehicle for the past several months or why Evolution is the choice of many who are looking for speed, call Richard Read More …
An unusually big number of commuters stand shoulder-to-shoulder while waiting for their train ride at the Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-3 station on Taft Avenue and Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Pasay City on Thursday morning (March 27, 2014). The commuters, coming from as far as Cavite, are bound for their places of work in Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, San Juan and Quezon City. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Malacañang apologized for the accident at the Metro Rail Transit (MRT 3) on Wednesday which injured at least 8 passengers when a train came to an abrupt stop. “Patuloy pong tinutukoy ng DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications), LRTA (Light Rail Transport Authority), at management ng MRT yung mahalagang isyu ng kaligtasan ng ating mga commuters, at humihingi ho ng paumanhin doon sa naganap na aksidente kahapon na nagkaroon ng marahas na pagpepreno,” Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said on Thursday. “Ang akin pong pagkakaalam ay sinisiyasat ito at magsasagawa ng mga corrective actions dahil hindi dapat magkaroon ng mga insidenteng katulad nito na nagbibigay ng panganib sa kaligtasan ng ating mga mamamayan,” he added. Coloma, however, brushed aside a question as to whether the incident will be used as a justification to increase fares by citing the need to improve service. “Hindi po. Yung isyu po kasi ng pagtataas ng presyo, kung maaalala natin, tinukoy na rin ng ating Pangulo sa isa sa kanyang SONA (state of the nation address) — two years ago pa yata yon o last year – at Read More …
Ever the stunner, Anne Curtis stole some of the spotlight from the contestants when she opened the show wearing a black gown from Ezra.
How Marian Rivera, Anne Curtis, and Maja Salvador achieved their beach bodies…
The Bangsamoro Transition Commission has missed its self-imposed deadline to submit the draft law that will embody the recently signed peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Instead of March 31, the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law will be submitted to President Benigno Aquino III by April or May, MILF vice chairman Ghazali Jaafar told GMA News on Monday. “Yung ibinigay na deadline, hindi kaya. Pero palagay ko kaya nila next month April, within April at palagay ko by May andyan na yan sa Palasyo, kay Pangulong Aquino,” Jaafar said. He said it will depend on Aquino when he will forward the draft law to Congress for approval. The President, who witnessed the historic signing of the peace deal Thursday last week, is expected to certify the measure as urgent. Once enacted, the Basic Law will be subjected to a plebiscite in the proposed Bangsamoro territory. Once it is ratified, an enhanced Bangsamoro autonomous region will be established, replacing the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Jaafar said the Bangsamoro Transition Commission is working hard to finish the draft. The commission has 15 members, eight from MILF and seven from the government. “Tuloy tuloy, continuous. As a matter of fact, nago-overtime sila,” he said. Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief peace negotiator and head of the Transition Commission, said they are in the process of polishing the first draft that still “needs to undergo several processes especially in relation to hard issues.” “The Transition Commission is made up Read More …
Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam will make his first state visit to the Philippines this week to hand over aid to survivors of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tan will be in the Philippines from April 2 to 5 to meet with President Benigno Aquino III on defense, trade and investment, and the Filipino community in Singapore. Tan will also fly to Basey town in Western Samar, one of the areas affected by Yolanda, to give medical supplies to a local hospital, the DFA said. In Manila, the Singaporean leader will also hand over donations, contributed by the people of Singapore, to the partners of the Singapore Red Cross involved in the post-Yolanda rehabilitation projects. In November last year, Yolanda ripped through central Philippines, leaving over 6,200 dead based on official government records. Tan, Singapore’s ceremonial head, will be accompanied by several ministers and members of the Singaporean parliament during his visit, according to the DFA. Over 180,000 Filipinos are working in Singapore as of December 2012, based on Philippine government records. In 2011, Aquino went on a state visit to Singapore, where he discussed the Philippines’ territorial dispute with China, tourism and trade with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. —Andreo Calonzo/KBK, GMA News
By Frances MangosingINQUIRER.net 6:59 pm | Monday, March 31st, 2014 Decay and rust lives inside the belly of the BRP Sierra Madre. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE MANILA, Philippines—The BRP Sierra Madre, a rusty ship aground in one of the possible flash points in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), stands alone but without fear in the high seas to maintain Filipino presence. The ship was previously used by the United States during the World War II in the waters of Vietnam. The US handed it over to Vietnam in 1970 and after a few years it was passed on to the Philippines. In 1999, it was purposely run aground in Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) to keep its Filipino presence there. Ayungin is located 105 nautical miles off Rizal, Palawan. Though it is located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, the resource-rich area is also claimed by the Chinese. The Philippines’ claims are based on the United Nations on the Convention of the Law of the Sea, while China’s claims are based on their old maps made several decades ago. China claims most of the West Philippine Sea as its own. Troops in the ship go on rotation for several months. On March 9, China blocked the Philippines’ attempt to reprovision and rotate its soldiers. Because it was unsuccessful, they made an airdrop instead. Last Saturday, the next attempt after the March 9 incident, the Philippines was able to evade the Chinese blockade. Marines who were Read More …