Isuzu posts 9.5% sales hike

 Economy
May 282014
 
Isuzu posts 9.5% sales hike

MANILA, Philippines – Sales of Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) grew 9.5 percent in the January to April period compared to the previous year, given the strong demand for the D-Max pickup and trucks.    According to IPC, it sold 4,154 vehicles in the first four months of the year, up from the 3,793 units sold during the same period in 2013.    The higher sales for the four month period was supported by the performance of the D-Max pickup.    As of end-April, the firm’s sales of the D-Max jumped 78.7 percent to 1,292 units from just 723 units in the comparable period last year.    IPC’s trucks also helped drive sales higher for the period.    For the January to April period, the company’s sales of medium-duty Category IV trucks reached a total of 219 units, an 11.2 percent increase from the 197 units sold during the same period last year.    Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Sales of the N-Series for the four month period, meanwhile, rose 37.2 percent year-on-year to 668 units.     “The upward trend in the movement of Isuzu’s trucks confirms that entrepreneurs, companies with vehicle fleets and other businesses continuously patronize these models,” IPC president Nobuo Izumina said.    “Clearly, Isuzu trucks’ reputed competence at serving a variety of purposes is recognized and is required by the market. Our efforts to directly reach out to our customers, like during the recent Truck Fest event held in Clark, Pampanga, where many of the guests were company owners, certainly Read More …

Palace: Aquino personally following up progress of Bangsamoro law

 Entertainment
May 282014
 
Palace: Aquino personally following up progress of Bangsamoro law

President Benigno S. Aquino III guides His Excellency Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia, upon arrival at the Malacañan Palace Grounds during the Welcome Ceremony for the State Visit to the Philippines on Friday (May 23, 2014). Indonesia was the 13th major trading partner of the Philippines in 2013, with a total trade of US$ 3.512 billion. There is a 9,844-strong Filipino community living and working in Indonesia. This year also marks the 65th Anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Indonesia. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III has started to make personal follow-ups with the government’s legal team in submitting the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress for ratification, Malacañang said Saturday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Aquino recognizes the urgency of the situation but is “understanding” of the task at hand, given the intricacies of the draft measure. “The president himself made several follow-ups of (the) legal team (but) is understanding of the task at hand,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. She noted the draft law, which would pave the way for a Bangsamoro political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, is “two to three inches” thick. One month after receiving the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law from the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, the Office of the President has yet to submit to Congress the proposed measure for ratification. BTC chairman and Moro Islamic Liberation Front chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal told MindaNews Read More …

House OKs bill declaring Maguindanao massacre anniversary as PHL Press Day

 Entertainment
May 282014
 
House OKs bill declaring Maguindanao massacre anniversary as PHL Press Day

Student protesters hold a slogan denouncing the killing of 58 people, including at least 32 media workers, during a rally in suburban Quezon City, north of Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 21, 2010. Almost a year has past since Andal Ampatuan Jr., the scion of a powerful clan, was said to have led his men in killing 58 people, including 32 media workers, in southern Maguindanao province.(AP Photo/Aaron Favila) MANILA (Mabuhay) – A measure declaring the anniversary of the infamous Maguindanao massacre as Philippine Press Freedom Day has been approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading. Under House Bill 4128, every 23rd of November shall be commemorated as a day to celebrate freedom and awareness of the press in the Philippines. The date gained significance in the aftermath of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, considered as the single deadliest event for journalists in recent history. The massacre, blamed on the powerful Ampatuan political clan, claimed the lives of 58 people, including 32 journalists. “[The bill intends to] promote and uphold freedom and heighten awareness on press freedom so that journalists may freely and securely report the truth no matter who gets hurt by it,” said Misamis Occidental Rep. Jorge Almonte, chair of the House committee on public information. To mark Philippine Press Freedom Day, heads of government agencies, government-owned and -controlled corporations, local government units and employers in the private sector shall encourage their employees to engage and participate in any activity related to upholding press freedom Read More …

Tanada, Saguisag: New bases agreement ‘lopsided’

 Entertainment
May 282014
 
Tanada, Saguisag: New bases agreement ‘lopsided’

Ex-senators ask SC to strike down EDCA An MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft takes off from the flight deck of the USS Bonhomme Richard during aviation operations exercises in the East China Sea, April 23, 2014. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam D. Wainwright MANILA (Mabuhay) – Two former senators who voted against the US bases in the country in the early 90s on Monday asked the Supreme Court to strike down the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the US. In their 65-page petition, former senators Rene Saguisag and Wigberto Tañada claimed the terms and provisions of the EDCA are clearly “lopsided in favor of the Americans, leaving the Philippines with nothing more than empty promises of support in the event of a Chinese invasion of Philippine territories in the West Philippine Sea.” Under the EDCA, the US will be allowed to build structures, store as well as preposition weapons, defense supplies and materiel, station troops, civilian personnel  and defense contractors, transit and station vehicles, vessels, and aircraft for a period of 10 years. The petitioners said the EDCA would grant the US “carta blanche power to establish and operate de facto military bases anywhere on Philippine soil, minus the cost of paying for one.” They also said the agreement would be a mere implementation of policies enshrined in the PHL-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) – a treaty whose constitutionality is being challenged for the first time before the high court with Saguisag and Read More …

Another pork scam whistleblower drops Baligod as lawyer

 Entertainment
May 282014
 
Another pork scam whistleblower drops Baligod as lawyer

At a media forum, lawyer Levito Baligod said he culled the names of those involved in the multimillion peso anomaly through various interviews and there is no “Benhur List.” Baligod used to be the counsel for whistleblowers Benhur Luy and Merlina Suñas. MANILA (Mabuhay) — Another whistleblower in the pork barrel scam case has dropped Atty. Levito Baligod as her lawyer. In a one-page letter dated May 23, Friday, Merlina Suñas said she has decided to “continue [her] battles” without the guidance of Baligod. Suñas, however, did not provide any reason as to why she came up with the decision. She thanked Baligod for standing beside her “despite all the difficulties that we encountered along the way.” “Regrettably, I have decided to continue my battles without you guiding me.” “I would like to thank you for your time and effort in protecting my rights and in representing me in my legal battles. My family and I wish you all the best, both in your personal and professional life,” she said. “With deepest gratitude for our friendship, I formally release you from your obligation to litigate on my behalf and to represent me as my legal counsel effective today, 23 May 2014,” Suñas added. Last March, pork scam key whisleblower Benhur Luy also dropped Baligod as his counsel, saying that the lawyer has been too busy attending to his “other advocacies.” Baligod, for his part, has admitted he has been busy with other witnesses and concerns because of the number of Read More …

Claudine on Mon Tulfo: Hindi na siya galit sa akin

 Entertainment
May 282014
 
Claudine on Mon Tulfo: Hindi na siya galit sa akin

Claudine Barretto (MNS Photo) All’s well that ends well. This seems to be the case between Claudine Barretto and Mon Tulfo two years after they figured an altercation at the NinoyAquinoInternationalAirport which left them bruised. Barretto confirmed she and Tulfo already talked and both of them asked for each other’s forgiveness. “Actually nagkausap na kami ni Kuya Mon noong una pa lang. Sinabi ni Kuya Mon sa akin na hindi naman daw siya galit sa akin. Humingi rin ng pasensya at ako rin ganun sa kanya,” she said. Tulfo, on the other hand, said he has long forgiven Barretto. He said, however, that it would have been more appropriate if it was Barretto’s estranged husband, actor Raymart Santiago, who reached out to him. “Matagal ko na siyang pinatawad. Dapat unawain mo ang babae. Meron pang diperensya sa pag-iisip. Dapat nga diyan kaawaan at unawain,” he said. “Wala na [yung mga kaso]. Hindi na ako nag-aattend ng mga hearing. Pinatawad ko na sila lahat. Pangalawa, wala akong tiwala sa hustisya natin. I would appreciate it kung si Raymart ang humingi ng tawad sa akin bilang lalaki,” he added. Meanwhile, Tulfo also commented on the picture shared by Barretto on Instagram last Thursday where she is seen with his brother, Raffy. “Natawa ako kasi kilalang-kilala ko si Raffy. Yung tawa niya, yung ngiti niya parang nakakaloko. Sinakyan-sakyan lang niya si Claudine,” she said. According to Raffy, it was his friend Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, who is Barretto’s lawyer, who made their meeting possible. Read More …

Former Balita editor David Casuco, 57, writes 30

 Entertainment
May 272014
 
Former Balita editor David Casuco, 57, writes 30

Remembering happy times with our ‘Teddy Bear’ By Myrna Aquitania David Casuco, flanked by his best friends Myrna Aquitania and Lydia Solis of Philippine News (right). The sad news on the sudden passing of our “Teddy Bear” David Casuco was not only shocking but numbing. Media colleague Lydia Solis (of Philippine News) and I shared Dave as our “huggable Teddy Bear” – a caring, charming and lovable friend. Though I’ve never met his family, Dave would relate how happy he was whenever he went home to his family on weekends to bond with them, particularly his son, Justin, who he spoke of so lovingly; He enjoyed playing with their dog, cleaning him up and dog-sitting. There were times when he would call me from the Greyhound station in Rosemead, to ask if I could pick him up so we could have lunch in Chinatown or to his favorite restaurant called Pista Sa Barrio in Eagle Rock, whom he called the place that served his “to die for” pancit bihon and surely, we always had fun bonding whenever we were together. Looking back, Dave strived to win the weekly “Biggest Loser” contest at the Balita/US Asian Post office, where he was our outstanding editor. He had quite a sense of humor, which only a few of us knew; he had the ability to make you laugh, particularly when he related his stories of the ‘aswangs” who “followed” him when he visited Siquijor. Once, the three of us (Lydia, Dave and I) Read More …

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