Jul 022014
 
Aquino praises PAF members’ professionalism, dedication during anniversary celebration

The FA-50 light combat aircraft is equipped with state-of-the-art systems and weapon systems, according to airforce-technology.com. MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Benigno S. Aquino III led the celebration of the 67th anniversary of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in Pampanga, recognizing the professionalism and dedication to service of its uniformed men and women. In his message during the event that was held in Clark Air Base in Pampanga on Tuesday, the President said the reforms and modernization initiatives in the Air Force have been made possible by the support of the PAF leadership. At the same time, he praised the PAF for its role in the government’s response during such challenges as the Zamboanga siege and the devastation brought by Typhoon Yolanda last year. “Ito po mismo ang ipinagdiriwang natin ngayong anibersaryo ng Philippine Air Force: ang propesyunalismo, katapangan, at katatagang nagsilbi ninyong sandigan upang itaguyod ang ating pambansang dangal,” the President said in his message. “Ito ang mga prinsipyong kinikilala natin sa bawat unit, piloto, at kawani na ating pinaparangalan ngayong umaga, at sa iba pang lingkod-bayang katuwang sa ating agenda ng reporma.” The President extended his gratitude to the members of the Air Force, urging them to keep up the good work. He said that as commander in chief, he is proud to become a leader of a nation that does what is right and is always ready for any challenge. He reported that in the past four years, the PAF has been able to aggressively push its modernization Read More …

Jul 022014
 
Sarah on Matteo: Mahal ko ‘yun talaga

Sarah Geronimo (MNS Photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Following her admission that she is in a romantic relationship with Matteo Guidicelli, Sarah Geronimo now reveals when she plans to walk down the aisle and tie the knot. The singer-actress was asked what is her ideal marrying age considering she is already turning 26 next month. “Ang ideal age for me is before 30, or sana 29. Kahit matagalan nang konti basta wala naman po sa edad iyan. Kapag natagpuan mo na ang tamang panahon, tamang ikaw at tamang partner din, yun na,” she said. Geronimo said she is grateful to have Guidicelli in her life because he makes an effort to make her feel special. “Siyempre thankful naman tayo sa Diyos dahil everything that’s happening, kumbaga na-bless ako ng ganitong klaseng relationship, ganitong klaseng karelasyon kasi mabait na tao naman si Matteo at talagang matiyaga,” she said. Just like Guidicelli, the singer-actress said she also calls him “mahal.” “Oo. Oo naman, kasi mahal ko yun eh. Mahal ko yun talaga,” she beamingly said. When told that Guidicelli seems to be the only suitor who won her parents’ hearts, Geronimo said, “Ano naman iyan eh, continuous iyan. Dapat hindi natatapos ang effort mo na ligawan [ang magulang]. Kasi ako okay na ako, yung magulang na talaga.” Since Geronimo admitted her romantic ties with Guidicelli, several netizens, including celebrities, have expressed that they are extremely happy for the “The Voice” coach. Asked how she feels about the overwhelming response of other people, Geronimo Read More …

Jul 022014
 
Drilon urges gov’t to raise pay for civil servants

CELEBRATING THE SENATE’S 97th ANNIVERSARY. Senate President Franklin M. Drilon addresses Senate officials and employees during the Senate’s flag raising ceremony Monday, October 21. Drilon took the opportunity to thank everyone for what he calls a “selfless act” in deciding to forego plans to celebrate the annual Christmas Party in favor of donating the funds to the victims of recent calamities that struck Visayas and Mindanao. The Senate, which is also celebrating its 97th Anniversary, has also decided to allocate the budget for the anniversary to the victims of the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Bohol and Cebu. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Senate President Franklin M. Drilon today called on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to take immediate steps in conducting a pay review for all government employees including policemen and soldiers, in time for the enactment of the 2015 national budget next year. The Senate leader said the study on how the government can improve the salary rate being implemented with all government employees, including those serving in the military and the police must be fast-tracked “in order to uplift the standard of living of our public employees.” “I have requested the DBM to expedite its analysis, so that if possible, we can already put into effect the new version of the Salary Standardization Law and we can include the required budget in the 2015 national expenditures program, which we will approve at the end of this year. That way, all public employees can already Read More …

Jul 022014
 
Bong, Jinggoy camps: Suspension not needed

Senator Bong Revilla, shown in photo on his way to be detained on plunder and graft charges, said his lawyer, Sal Panelo, only talked about the rats and roaches in his cell in jest. Revilla’s lawyer has said the senator’s family saw rats “as big as cats” inside the senator’s cell. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Detained Senators Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada no longer need to be suspended while facing plunder and graft charges in connection with the alleged pork barrel scam, their respective camps said Tuesday. In a phone interview, Revilla’s lawyer Joel Bodegon described as “unnecessary” the Ombudsman’s motion – filed before the Sandiganbayan – to suspend Revilla. “This no longer serves the purpose of suspension. Bakit ba sinu-suspend? Para hindi na maka-take advantage sa official position or maka-influence sa investigation. Naka-detain na si Senator Bong, kaya walang saysay na talaga ito,” Bodegon said. He described the Ombudsman’s motion as “premature,” noting that Revilla has pending motions before the Supreme Court contesting the plunder charges filed against him. “May issue pa sa validity noong information. Kinu-question pa namin ang procedure at ang preliminary investigation,” Bodegon said. Revilla’s lawyer further said that their camp will ask for time to file a comment to the Ombudsman’s motion during the scheduled hearing on Thursday. The Ombudsman on Monday asked the Sandiganbayan First and Fifth Divisions to issue a suspension against Senators Revilla and Estrada while they are facing plunder and graft charges in connection with the alleged pork Read More …

Jul 022014
 
Aquino wants phytosanitary clearance of smuggled garlic shipment checked

President Benigno Aquino III deliver his message during inauguration of the Iloilo River Plains Subdivision Phase 1 in Brgy. Lanit, Jaro District, Iloilo City on Friday (June 27, 2014) Photo by: Ryan Lim/ Malacanang Photo Bureau MANILA (Mabuhay) – President Aquino has ordered the Department of Agriculture to check the phytosanitary condition of some 100 metric tons of smuggled garlic from Hong Kong, with the end goal of unloading this in the market. Aquino also raised concerns that some individuals may be increasing the prices of garlic artificially as there is enough supply. “We have already increased the monitoring activities of the Department of Trade and Industry,” the President said in an interview aired over state-run Radyo ng Bayan on Tuesday. The smuggled Taiwan garlic, with an estimated value of P30 million, arrived in two separate shipments seized at the Port of Batangas. The shipments, however, carried no phytosanitary clearance. Retail prices for the commodity soared to as high as P300 to P400 a kilo, from the usual P60 to P90. In the first quarter alone, the Department of Agriculture monitored that garlic prices increased by 213 percent. (MNS)

Jul 022014
 
Dodge flexes some serious muscle with latest SRT

The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRTIts supercharged 6.2-liter V8 develops 707hp.©Dodge (Relaxnews) – The 2015 Challenger SRT is the first production car in history to get a supercharged HEMI engine and the result is 707hp and 650lb-ft of torque. That makes the car not only the most powerful Dodge Challenger ever, it also makes it the most powerful ‘stock’ muscle car in history. The HEMI Hellcat engine is already a handful when it is not being force fed air via a supercharger. Its 6.2 liters of displacement and eight cylinders offer well over 450hp and very good low-end torque. But by adding a blower, Dodge’s engineers have managed to build something that has enough leg room and luggage space for a family vacation but has more horsepower under the hood than a Ferrari 458 Italia or a McLaren MC 12. All of that power will be delivered to the rear wheels via a new TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission so that should help harness and control some of those horses. However, Dodge is clearly concerned that it may have created a monster, so the new Challenger is also the first car in the company’s history to come with two key fobs — one black and one red — that are programmed to unlock different performance characteristics. When the car is started via the black fob, power is limited to 500hp but when the red fob is in action, all hell will break loose. It might sound like a gimmick but knowing that Read More …

Jul 022014
 
Pelvic exam not needed for all women: US doctors’ group

A systematic review of previously published research from 1946 to January, 2014 to has shown that when it comes to the manual pelvic exam, the risks outweigh the benefits.© TDHster/shutterstock.Com (WASHINGTON–AFP) – A manual pelvic examination in which gynecologists use their hands to feel around for potentially cancerous masses is not needed for most women, a leading doctors’ group said Monday. The American College of Physicians said women should still see their doctors annually for regular Pap smears and cervical exams to screen for cancer and sexually transmitted infections. However, a systematic review of previously published research from 1946 to January, 2014 to has shown that when it comes to the manual pelvic exam, the risks outweigh the benefits, said the findings in the Annals of Internal Medicine. “Routine pelvic examination has not been shown to benefit asymptomatic, average risk, non-pregnant women,” said co-author Linda Humphrey. “It rarely detects important disease and does not reduce mortality and is associated with discomfort for many women, false positive and negative examinations, and extra cost.” The pelvic exam occurs when the doctor inserts his or her fingers in the patient’s vagina, then uses the other hand to feel the outside of her abdomen for bumps or masses. Rather than doing a pelvic exam for every woman, doctors should limit it to women who have symptoms such as vaginal discharge, abnormal bleeding, pain, urinary problems or sexual dysfunction, said the ACP. Already, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says a pelvic exam is Read More …

Jul 022014
 
BSP processing consolidation of 15 small banks

MANILA, Philippines – Fifteen small banks are set to merge and consolidate as of end-June this year. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. said these applications were approved by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. and are currently being processed by the central bank. These deals were made under the BSP and PDIC’s Strengthening Program for Rural Banks Plus, to encourage mergers and acquisitions among rural and thrift banks, and also to weed out problematic banks. The program dangles incentives to investors for them to rescue ailing banks to minimize bank closures and by its name, strengthen the small lenders in the industry.  “In addition, there are five other applications for consolidation and acquisition in the pipeline,” Tetangco said. The SPRB Plus, which will be in place until the end of the year, provides white knights or strategic third party investors financial assistance, regulatory reliefs, and branching and other incentives once they rescue problematic banks. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Last year, 18 banks were ordered closed and placed under the receivership of the PDIC. Central bank data showed the number of head offices last year slid to 673, although bank branches continued to expand to 9,262. This was a result of continued consolidations and the exit of weaker lenders, the BSP said. “The Philippine rural banking sector continues to grow and expand… even as natural calamities devastated wide areas in the Visayas (late last year),” Tetangco said. The rural banking sector has increased Read More …

Jul 022014
 
Shell study cites 6 archetypes of energy use among cities

MANILA, Philippines – Power, energy and gas technology leader Shell, together with global consultants Booz & Co., studied more than 500 urban centers across the globe and gathered data on how cities have been utilizing energy. The results pointed to six illustrative archetypes indicating where energy use is most concentrated and where future urbanization is set to take place. The findings, published in a report titled New Lenses on Future Cities, show energy use currently concentrated in two of the six city archetypes: sprawling metropolises like Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, and prosperous communities such as Dubai and Stockholm. These cities have relatively low-density and high per capita GDP, and are typically found in the United States and Europe. Urban powerhouses, the third archetype characterized by high population densities and high individual incomes, are also heavy energy users. However, their share of global consumption is modest by comparison as only a few cities belong in this archetype, such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and New York. Developing mega-hubs like Hyderabad and Chongqing, and underprivileged crowded cities such as Manila and Bangalore are relatively light energy users at present. But while these cities have low individual incomes and medium to high populations, most of them will join the next wave of urbanization as they become more prosperous. Their growing energy demand will shape global levels of energy use, making their development choices critical. Underdeveloped urban centers, the most common archetype, are low energy users — accounting for only 11 percent of total Read More …