Maniolas

Wind-blown mango tree branches nearly block the gate of the Porta Coali Convent (top photo) along Visayas Ave., Quezon City on Wednesday (July 16, 2014). Lower photos show Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) employees loading on a pick-up truck mahogany tree branches (left) and residents of Aurora Blvd. near the Chinese Medical Center cleaning up a portion of Blumentritt St., Sta. Cruz, Manila. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – At least 38 people were killed in the wake of Typhoon Glenda (international name Rammasun) which heavily battered Luzon on Wednesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said. NDRRMC chief Usec. Alexander Pama said as of Thursday morning, the death toll from the typhoon was at 38. Eight people are still missing while 10 others were wounded. Pama said 22 of the 38 fatalities were from the heavily hit Region 4-A (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon); five from Region 4B (MIMAROPA); four from Bicol Region; three from Region 3 (Central Luzon); and two each from Metro Manila and Region 8 (Eastern Visayas). Pama said at least 192,131 families or 1,006,360 individuals were affected by the typhoon. At least 1,219 evacuation centers are catering to the affected population. The strong winds and rains brought by Glenda also damaged 19,257 houses, and totally destroyed 7,002 more. Meanwhile, P45 million worth of infrastructures were damaged. The Bicol region reported P668,233,477 worth of losses in the agriculture sector. As of Thursday morning, 15 roads and 4 bridges in Regions 3, Read More …

President Benigno S. Aquino III, accompanied by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and AFP Chief Emmanuel Bautista, tour the Asian Defense, Security and Crisis Management Exhibition 2014 held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City on Thursday (July 17). (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – As the Philippines gears towards achieving the goal of upgrading its defense capabilities, President Benigno S. Aquino III on Thursday opened this year’s Asian Defense, Security and Crisis Management (ADAS) exhibition and conference, held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. This is the first ADAS exhibition and conference to be held in the country. The ADAS 2014 is envisioned to afford all participating countries the opportunity for various interactions to realize their urgent requirements on defense, security, peace and order, disaster readiness, and crisis management, among others. President Aquino, in his speech, acknowledged the significance of holding the trade show and conference in the country as they will benefit our uniformed men and women, who are always on the front line in times of crises, conflicts, and calamities. “Anytime we have an opportunity to make our military more efficient, we have every intention of taking that opportunity. More than any other time in history, our country is making certain that our soldiers’ commitment on the field is met not only with the respect and admiration of our people, but also by the necessary support from government,” he said. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin mentioned that this event provides additional vibrancy to the Philippine economy as Read More …

Chanel Olive Thomas does not mind being compared to Jessy Mendiola.

By Michael Thurston Jose Antonio Vargas (photo courtesy of Define American Facebook page) LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and activist Jose Antonio Vargas, who revealed in 2011 that he is an undocumented immigrant, was freed by US border agents after being held for several hours Tuesday. Campaigners and leaders including the mayor of New York had called for the Philippine-born 33-year-old’s release from detention in a Texas border town, some urging President Barack Obama to intervene in an incident that threatened to inflame an already fiery immigration debate. Vargas has been in the southern US state to highlight the plight of tens of thousands of children from Central America who have flooded across the border and into the United States in the past year in search of a better life, his campaign group Define American said. A high-profile campaigner for the rights of fellow immigrants, he was detained at the airport in McAllen, where he planned to board a flight to Los Angeles, before being freed later in the day, authorities and Define American said. “As an unaccompanied child migrant myself, I came to McAllen, Texas, to shed a light on children who parts of America and many in the news media are actively turning their backs on,” Vargas said in a statement on the Facebook page of Define American, which he founded. “But what I saw was the generosity of the American people, documented and undocumented, in the Rio Grande Valley. “I’ve been released by Border Patrol. Read More …