DA turns over P7.2-M farm infra projects, eqp’t to Tawi Tawi town

 Economy
Apr 222014
 
DA turns over P7.2-M farm infra projects, eqp’t to Tawi Tawi town

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has turned over to a municipality in Tawi Tawi P7.2 million worth of farm infrastructure projects and equipment. Turned over recently to Panglima Sugala mayor Regie Sahali-Generale are a one-kilometer farm- to- market road, a new trading station, as well as eight units of cassava graters. The new farm-to-market road connects Barangay Thumbhill to Sitio Siola that covers 250 hectares of growing areas for bananas, cassava, coconut, and rice. The trading post, meanwhile, is in Barangay Batu-Batu where it now serves as the main marketplace in the entire municipality. The eight units of cassava grater and pressers were distributed to various farmer associations (FA). These are: Interior Magsaggao FA and Upper Magsaggao FA in Barangay Magsaggao; Kabbun Jati FA in Barangay Sumangday; Thumbhill FA in Barangay Thumbhill; Batu-Batu FA in Barangay Batu-Batu; Kulape Kasanyangan FA, Kulape Karayawan FA and Kasambuhan FA in Barangay Kulape. The projects are funded under the DA’s Support to Emergency Livelihood Assistance Project (SELAP) program. The local government of Panglima Sugala provided a counterpart fund of around P700,000 for the projects. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 SELAP is a special project of the DA funded by a US loan under United States Public Law 480. The program aims to accelerate rural development in Mindanao. Its components are: rural infrastructure development, livelihood assistance, capability building and program management.  “The FMR (farm-to-market road) will allow the farmers to bring their agri-products to the market much faster Read More …

Boracay tourism to get even bigger

 Economy
Apr 222014
 
Boracay tourism to get even bigger

Our biggest tourist destination is about to get even bigger. The new airport in Caticlan, costing P5.3 billion, is set to be completed by yearend 2015 and that means Airbus 320s that used to land in Kalibo will use Caticlan as the gateway airport to Boracay. It is a 25 year Built, Rehabilitate, Operate and Transfer project. The current runway of 30 meters x 950 meters will be extended to 45 meters x 1800 meters to satisfy international standards for aircrafts like the A320. Construction of the runway will be done by end of this year. Also to be constructed is a taxiway.  The new airport being constructed by San Miguel in Caticlan will also have a terminal building that can service 12 aircrafts at a time with 12 air bridges. That’s a far cry from the current terminal building that gets crowded with just two or three flights of smaller aircrafts. The new airport will also have the latest navigational system to make it an all weather airport. It will also have night landing facilities, something most of our airports outside our major airports do not have. No more daily flight cancellations due to sunset limitation. That probably means the Kalibo airport that now takes in direct foreign flights from South Korea and other countries will return to its previous status as a typical decrepit provincial airport. Right now, it is an embarrassing gateway to foreign tourists vacationing in Boracay. Kalibo airport is now so congested that many foreign Read More …

DBP, MWSI ink P6-B loan pact

 Economy
Apr 222014
 
DBP, MWSI ink P6-B loan pact

MANILA, Philippines – State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI) signed yesterday a P6-billion term loan agreement to partially finance MWSI’s sewerage project. The loan will specifically form part of the financing to be used by MWSI’s Parañaque-Las Piñas Sewerage System. DBP’s loan to MWSI is made possible through a funding provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under its Environmental Development Project (EDP). DBP said the project involves the construction of a sewage treatment plant and sewer collection system. The project, it said, will also adopt a combined sewerage network with sewage interceptors to capture sewage from the drainage of the two cities prior to discharge to the Parañaque River.  The project is also part of MWSI’s commitment to establish sewage treatment plants with a total capacity of 435 million liters per day. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 It is expected to serve about 1.8 million people within its concession area.  The proposed Parañaque-Las Piñas sewerage facility will initially contribute 77 million liters per day to the total capacity.

Sport meets street in Aerosoles

 Entertainment
Apr 222014
 
Sport meets street in Aerosoles

Jules Z. Schneider of Aerosoles: “People on the go will always value comfort.” MANILA, Philippines – For Aerosoles president and chief executive officer Jules Z. Schneider, comfort is key. Working in New York City in the ’80s, he noticed that most people wore slippers or rubber shoes during their daily commute. Schneider realized that most busy, on-the-go people valued comfort over everything when it came to choosing footwear. He also knew that using the right technology, this could be easily attained without sacrificing style, however. Aerosoles was built around this idea. For the past 25 years, the company has been manufacturing shoes with design technologies that always have their customers’ comfort in mind. Each pair of shoes is made using the Stitch N Turn technology unique to Aerosoles. The upper portion of the shoe is sewn to the sole and flipped inside-out for unmatched comfort and flexibility. Additionally, all Aerosoles are shock-absorbent thanks to diamond-patterned soles and are unbelievably comfortable with their memory foam foot beds and soft suede sock lining. Aerosoles make it easy to wear heels all day with their Heel Rest Technology, which shifts body weight towards the heels and away from the ball of the foot. Through the years, the company has stuck to its commitment to innovation in footwear and has stood out in the category of comfort footwear. Today, Aerosoles continues to deliver on its promise of providing comfort and style where it matters most — on your feet. Last Friday, Schneider and his Read More …

Filipino security guard shoots British boss in Cebu

 News
Apr 222014
 
Filipino security guard shoots British boss in Cebu

INQUIRER.net 9:25 pm | Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014 MANILA, Philippines – A British owner of a scuba diving shop in Cebu was shot dead on Black Saturday allegedly by his Filipino security guard who he had dismissed for being late to work, BBC News reported. Tony Gilchrist was shot six times in his shop in the Malapascua island on Saturday, the report said. The report said Gilchrist’s security guard Melchor Alciso Jr. shot his boss after having a heated argument with his British boss when he went to work from a drinking spree. The report said Gilchrist had sacked the security guard for turning up late to work. But a Cebu Daily News report said the guard was sacked even before the incident happened and was in fact rehired. Gilchrist’s brother Stephen was quoted in a “The Guardian” report as saying the victim managed to raise about £10,000 (over P740,000) in funds for the victims of Super Typhoon “Yolanda.” The suspect was taken into police custody. Police is looking at a possible grudge as the motive. RELATED STORY Security guard kills British dive shop operator during Black Saturday confrontation Follow Us Other Stories: Relief worker draws inspiration from helping Yolanda victims Charity football for ‘Yolanda’ victims raises $190,000 Final week for US tax-deductible donations to ‘Yolanda’ relief UNHCR launches registration program for Yolanda survivors to avail aid Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get Read More …

Filipinos in Mideast urged to take precautions vs MERS virus

 General
Apr 222014
 
Filipinos in Mideast urged to take precautions vs MERS virus

Department of Foreign Affairs building INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—While no restrictions have been imposed on travel to the Middle East, the Department of Foreign Affairs continues to advise Filipinos in the Arabian Peninsula to take precautionary measures amid the continuing threat of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome–Corona Virus (MERS-CoV). In public advisory issued jointly with the Department of Health, the DFA said Filipinos in the Middle East should take care of their health, particularly those working and residing in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where deaths due to the virus have been recorded. “Currently the World Health Organization has not declared any outbreak or epidemic of MERS-CoV in the Middle East. There are no travel restrictions to and from the Arabian Peninsula. Despite these, we are encouraging Filipinos in the Middle East to practice the precautions below for their own protection,” said the public advisory released Monday afternoon. The advisory was released as the government continued to account for passengers of Etihad Airways Flight No. EY 0424 that arrived on April 15 carrying a Filipino nurse who had been exposed to the virus at a Middle Eastern hospital. The nurse was already cleared of the virus, along with some 241 other passengers who were declared free of the illness. As of Monday, the government was still trying to locate 174 other passengers who have yet to be tested. In the advisory, the DFA and DOH reminded Filipinos to practice proper hygiene, particularly through handwashing or use Read More …

Drilon: 3 senators face ‘automatic’ suspension if plunder case reaches Sandiganbayan

 News
Apr 222014
 
Drilon: 3 senators face ‘automatic’ suspension if plunder case reaches Sandiganbayan

Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Senators Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada will be automatically suspended if the Office of the Ombudsman formally charges them with plunder, Senate President Franklin Drilon said Tuesday. In a radio interview, Drilon said the three senators being implicated in the alleged pork barrel scam will be temporarily barred from performing their work as legislators in case the Ombudsman files a motion to suspend them before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the plunder case. “Ang suspension po ng public official na nasampahan ng kaso ay automatic po. Ang kailangan lang ay isang motion galing sa Ombudsman… Walang pong discretion ang Sandiganbayan kundi suspendihin ang official,” the Senate leader told radio dzRH. Drilon particulary cited the Supreme Court ruling on a petition filed in 1989 by then-Zambales Governor Amor Deloso, which calls for the “automatic application” of the suspension of a public official facing criminal charges.  Last April 1, the Ombudsman recommended plunder charges against Estrada, Revilla and Enrile for allegedly pocketing millions in their pork barrel funds through a scam supposedly engineered by busineswoman Janet Lim-Napoles. All three senators have denied involvement in the alleged anomaly. Earlier, Senator Francis Escudero said that any move to expel or suspend one of his colleagues should be coursed through the Senate ethics panel.  “To begin with, before any expulsion or suspension can be initiated, dapat maporma muna yung ethics committee na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa napoporma. Hiniling na namin noon yan na dapat na maporma para Read More …

Sandiganbayan junks Gloria Arroyo bail petition anew

 News
Apr 222014
 
Sandiganbayan junks Gloria Arroyo bail petition anew

The Sandiganbayan has denied former President and incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s supplemental motion for bail, dzBB reported Tuesday. The eight-page supplemental motion for reconsideration submitted by Mrs. Arroyo’s camp in February claimed that the former Philippine leader deserves temporary freedom due to her health condition. But Mrs. Arroyo’s lawyers said they have yet to receive a copy of the resolution, adding that they will have to study it first before making their next move. “Narinig ko lang sa balita, pero hindi pa kami nakakakita ng decision. Hindi ko pa alam yung next move namin, if we will appeal the same, or we will let it be,” lawyer Modesto Ticman told GMA News Online over the phone.  In their appeal in February, Mrs. Arroyo’s camp said their petition should be taken separately from their earlier bail petitions, which attacked the “weakness and insufficiency of the prosecution’s evidence.” They also said that Mrs. Arroyo is “not a flight risk.” “The possibility of President Arroyo’s escape, bearing in mind her official and social standing and her other personal circumstances, is remote, if not nil,” the motion said. The defense also assured the court that Mrs. Arroyo will not flee, should she be allowed to post bail.  Mrs. Arroyo is currently under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City for allegedly conspiring to fraudulently divert P366 million in confidential PCSO intelligence funds “for personal gain” from 2008 to 2010. — Patricia Denise Chiu/RSJ, GMA News

Palace: Napoles still an accused; PNoy wants testimony vetted

 News
Apr 222014
 
Palace: Napoles still an accused; PNoy wants testimony vetted

Despite her supposed willingness to divulge everything she knows, Janet Lim-Napoles will still be treated as an accused in the alleged pork barrel scam case, at least for now. “She is considered an accused for now [and the President wants Justice Sec. Leila De Lima to] continue to evaluate the testimony and statements of Ms. Janet Napoles,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during a press conference on Tuesday. Lacierda said that De Lima informed President Benigno Aquino III earlier in the day that Napoles has agreed to bare all the details of the alleged scam, including names of all those involved. But Lacierda said the President instructed De Lima to “listen to the testimony and evaluate.” “We will follow the same position taken by Secretary Leila de Lima… we will be following closely the evaluation and validation of Secretary Leila de Lima and her team,” he said. “There is no presumed conclusion as to can she be a state witness. That has to go through the process of evaluation. And remember, the final arbiter to that would be the Sandiganbayan,” he added. Earlier, however, Aquino had already hinted he does not believe Napoles was “not most guilty.”  “Tila ang common link doon sa lahat na supposed to be involved, at least as far as one segment of the scam is involved, ay si Ms. Napoles. So siya ba ang pasimuno?” Aquino said.  “Hindi ganoon kaklaro… Pero nasa sentro siya ng mga involvement ng ‘di umano’y maraming mga tao. So paano mo masasabing Read More …

SC spokesman: ‘Ma’am Arlene’ probe report ready by June

 News
Apr 222014
 
SC spokesman: ‘Ma’am Arlene’ probe report ready by June

BAGUIO CITY – A Supreme Court committee probing alleged influence-peddling in the judiciary is already preparing its report on the matter, which is set to be submitted to the en banc in June. At a press briefing here on Tuesday, SC Public Information Office chief and spokesman Theodore Te confirmed that the panel – chaired by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen – is currently in the process of “writing an initial report.” “And it already includes recommendations,” Te said shortly after the high tribunal’s summer session, the last for this year. Te also revealed that the committee will be submitting the report to the high court en banc in June when session resumes after the magistrates take a month-long “decision writing recess.” The investigating panel had earlier invited one of the alleged “fixers” previously known only as a certain “Ma’am Arlene,” later identified as Arlene Angeles Lerma, to help shed light on the controversy. “Ma’am Arlene,” described in earlier news reports as the judiciary’s version of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, first came into national consciousness through Jarius Bondoc’s column in the Philippine Star last year. According to Bondoc’s column, “Ma’am Arlene” throws birthday parties for appellate court justices and trial court judges and finances their family trips abroad, among other things, in exchange for their favors in cases. But last year, the Bureau of Immigration confirmed that Lerma had already left the country for Singapore. She reportedly did not purchase a return ticket. Leonen is joined in the investigating committee by Read More …

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