AFP intensifies offensives as NPA anniversary nears 

 News
Mar 222014
 
AFP intensifies offensives as NPA anniversary nears 

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has  raised the alarm on possible hostilities by the New People’s Army as the Communist Party of the Philippines’ armed wing approaches its founding anniversary, a military official said on Saturday. In a text message to GMA News Online, Armed Forces public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said they have intensified “combat operations in all areas of interest against [the communist rebels] to prevent them from launching attacks and for [government troops] to dictate on the momentum of the focused military operations.” “This increase of operational tempo is inherent in every command as we deny the enemy from their terroristic acts against our people,” he added. Last week, at least four suspected NPA rebels, two of whom are allegedly high-ranking officers, were captured by the military after a firefight in Sorsogon. Captain Bethany Cadungan, spokesperson for the Army’s 903rd Infantry Brigade, said Elias Florentino Pura, Rodrigo Lasar, William Doroja, and one alias “Ino” were captured after around 10 minutes of fighting. Lt. Col. Medel Aguilar, 9th Infantry Division spokesman, said Pura surrendered and yielded an M653 baby armalite rifle. The military also seized a cal. 45 pistol, two improvised explosive devices, a hand grenade, a laptop, and backpacks containing personal belongings. Pura is the secretary of Larangan 1, Komprob (Komiteng Probinsya) Sorsogon while Ino is the finance officer of the NPA in Sorsogon, the military said. He is also reportedly the finance officer of the Bicol regional party committee. Colonel Joselito Kakilala, commander of Read More …

AFP standing by to resume search for missing Malaysian jet 

 News
Mar 222014
 
AFP standing by to resume search for missing Malaysian jet 

The Armed Forced of the Philippines is ready to resume the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 even as the focus of the search has shifted to the Indian Ocean. “We will continue should the need arise,” AFP spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala told GMA News Online on Saturday. Zagala added that the military suspended the search last Sunday after finishing the scan areas within Philippine territory where the missing plane could be. In an earlier report, the AFP said they searched all areas within Philippine territory but found nothing. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing past midnight on Saturday, March 8, an hour after it took off from Kuala Lumpur.  During the initial search and rescue operations, the AFP sent out three Navy ships and two airplanes to help international efforts to locate the missing plane. — Andrei Medina/JDS, GMA News

Unicef, WHO to donate typhoon-resistant vaccination equipment

 News
Mar 222014
 
Unicef, WHO to donate typhoon-resistant vaccination equipment

The United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization are set to donate typhoon-and earthquake-resistant vaccines and immunization equipment in an effort to ensure the cold chain storage management of vaccines in Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan)-affected areas. The WHO, UNICEF, and the Department of Health (DOH) plan to establish the cold chain storage system first in Tacloban City, one of areas hit hardest by Yolanda, and then expand the program across typhoon devastated communities. Equipment used to maintain the cold chain, a temperature-controlled system essential to retain the protective ability of vaccines and immunizing agents, will be donated to 450 DOH health care facilities. These include 5,000 temperature-monitoring devices, 4,000 vaccine carriers, 800 cold boxes, 400 back-up generator systems,150 ice-lined refrigerators, 50 solar-powered refrigerators and 200 Sure Chill freezers, which allows the facilities to operate for more than ten days without electricity. Also 16 walk-in cold rooms for vaccine storage will be constructed at the regional and provincial levels, where three million doses of measles/rubella and oral polio vaccines will be stored. WHO, together with UNICEF, also trained health workers to improve vaccine and cold chain management. WHO already delivered 16 solar-powered vaccine refrigerators in Leyte to enable autonomous storage of vaccine stock replenishment from the DOH’s warehouses within the third week of the Yolanda crisis. WHO also provided a million doses of measles/rubella vaccine for the DOH program, along with AD mixing syringes and safety boxes, and two domestic refrigerators for use in Tacloban. Cold chain equipment were also Read More …

Swiss Emmentaler named world's best cheese

 Entertainment
Mar 212014
 
Swiss Emmentaler named world's best cheese

Judges enter their findings into iPads during the first day of the 2014 World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wis.(AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger) ADISON, Wis. — A Swiss Emmentaler has been named the top cheese at an international competition in Wisconsin, handing the nation its fourth win in the past five years. Cheesemaker Gerard Sinnesberger took top honors at the 2014 World Championship Cheese Contest with his Original Schweizer Rohmilch Emmentaler, a large format, big wheel Swiss cheese. Out of possible 100 points, the Emmentaler scored 97.85 in the final round of judging Wednesday. The cheese was deemed the best of 2,615 entries from 22 countries. An Austrian entry, called Erzherzog Johann, was second. Another Swiss entry, Gruyere AOP, was third. A U.S. cheesemaker hasn’t won the contest sponsored by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association since 1988, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Although Americans weren’t in the top three this year, they took home the most medals, winning 59 of the 90 categories judged. Switzerland came in second with seven gold medals, while the Netherlands had five. Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: Among U.S. contestants, Wisconsin dominated with 33 gold medals. Chief judge Bob Aschenbrock credited the quality of milk produced by Wisconsin farmers and work done by state agriculture officials and the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “They’ve improved the milk supply immensely in the last 15 to 20 years. When I was making cheese back in the 1960s and 1970s, Read More …

Aquino: Plunder complaint against me baseless, extreme

 Entertainment
Mar 212014
 
Aquino: Plunder complaint against me baseless, extreme

President Benigno S. Aquino III graces the Jollibee’s Twin Milestone Celebration at the Heroes Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday (March 11). The Philippine’s leading fast-food chain continues to expand its reach here and abroad. It recently celebrated two important milestones in its store expansion efforts – the opening of Jollibee’s 800th store in the Philippines in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon and its 100th international store in Jubail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Also in photo are Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo, JFC chairman and chief executive officer Tony Tan Caktiong and JFC chief operating officer Ernesto Tanmantiong. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday shrugged off the plunder complaints filed against him and other government officials, saying they are baseless and extreme. “Curious ako: Ano ho ba supposedly ang na-gain ko dito? Yung element kasi ng plunder you have to have personal gain. So what did I, Secretary Abad, or Secretary Alcala gain?” Aquino said at the sidelines of the Pinoy Music Summit in Malate, Manila. In October last year, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas filed plunder charges against Aquino, Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala, and Budget Sec. Florencio Abad, among others for their alleged involvement in the so-called pork barrel scam. Last January, the same group filed another plunder case against Aquino, Abad, and Agrarian Reform Sec. Virgilio Delos Reyes, among others over the alleged misuse of Malampaya funds. Aquino, however, said the claims are a little “extreme.” “Besides yung teknikal na aspect dito, siguro Read More …

GMA co-accused in plunder case enters ‘not guilty’ plea

 Entertainment
Mar 212014
 
GMA co-accused in plunder case enters ‘not guilty’ plea

Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, now a sitting lawmaker in the lower house of Congress, is flanked by husband Jose Miguel Arroyo (L) and her son Congressman Juan Miguel Arroyo inside the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court in Quezon City, Metro Manila, April 11, 2012. Arroyo entered a plead of not guilty before an anti-corruption court for her role in an aborted $329 million broadband deal with China’s ZTE Corp in 2007 after a congressional inquiry in 2008 showed she allegedly did not stop her allies from collecting huge pay offs for the deal. Arroyo’s husband, a former communications minister and the former head of the country’s elections agency are facing similar corruption charges. REUTERS/Renz Joshua Posedio/ Philippine National Police-Public Information Office/Handout (PHILIPPINES – Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS MANILA (Mabuhay) – A former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board member and co-accused of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in a P366-million plunder case entered Thursday a not guilty plea before the Sandiganbayan. Jose Taruc V, in handcuffs, arrived at the Sandiganbayan before 8 a.m.., dodging reporters’ questions on his decision to finally surface. He was arraigned at the anti-graft court’s First Division. Taruc surrendered to authorities last Monday after leaving the country on July 19, 2012, a week ahead the issuance of a hold departure order (HDO) Read More …

Sen. Bam: substandard steel products killed hundreds in Bohol, Cebu

 Entertainment
Mar 212014
 
Sen. Bam: substandard steel products killed hundreds in Bohol, Cebu

Senate Majority Leader Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (left) confers with Sen. Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV (right) and Sen. Sonny Angara before the start of the Senate Session on Monday (Jan. 27, 2014). (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – A senator blamed substandard steel products for the death of hundreds of people in the Magnitude 7.2 earthquake that devastated Bohol and Cebu last year. “Hundreds of lives were lost because of substandard and inferior steel products used in houses and other infrastructure,” Sen. Bam Aquino stressed as he filed a resolution seeking to investigate alleged proliferation of uncertified, substandard and smuggled steel products in the country. Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, witnessed the devastation caused by the earthquake in a recent trip to several areas in Bohol. “During my visit, I saw two houses just several meters apart. One was completely destroyed and the other was still standing after the earthquake,” he said. Overall, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that the death toll from the earthquake was 222. “Selling substandard steel is a question of greed and a question of corruption. That’s why we need to investigate this before we lose hundreds of life to another earthquake or devastation, God forbid,” Aquino stressed. Backing up his claim, Aquino mentioned a report by the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) in the aftermath of the disastrous earthquake that inflicted severe damage in the provinces of Bohol and Cebu. Aquino said a technical Read More …

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