Billy Crawford prays Coleen is the one

 Entertainment
Sep 232014
 
Billy Crawford prays Coleen is the one

Billy Crawford and Coleen Garcia (MNs photo) Host-singer Billy Crawford thanked his girlfriend, Coleen Garcia, for staying by his side amid the legal battle that he is now facing. Crawford narrated how Garcia helped him through the challenges he recently went through. Crawford was involved in a drunken incident in Taguig City a week ago, where he was briefly detained. He was released the following day after posting bail. The actor said he was able to face the world because of Garcia’s support. “I really wouldn’t be out now if it wasn’t for her help. When the news came out, it was a wrong accusation right away, nanakit ako ng babae. First of all, I don’t, and I never will. I was raised properly. And pinagtanggol niya ako, she means the world to me,” Crawford said. Crawford added that he hopes Garcia will be “the one” for him. “I pray every single day that she is the one. If God gave us unconditional love, that’s what I’m willing to give her as well,” he said. Crawford and Garcia went public with their relationship in July, months after admitting in January that he is courting his “It’s Showtime” co-host. (MNS)

Aquino remembers a pretty woman in Boston neighborhood

 General
Sep 232014
 
Aquino remembers a pretty woman in Boston neighborhood

By Nikko Dizon |Philippine Daily Inquirer 6:11 am | Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 HOME AWAY FROM HOME President Aquino visits the house on Commonwealth Avenue in Newton, Massachusetts, where the Aquino family lived for three years while his father, then opposition leader Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., was on exile in the United States. The President returns after 31 years, saying it’s an emotional time for him. EDWIN BACASMAS NEWTON, Massachusetts—He had a pretty neighbor but someone else in a flashy car picked her up one day. And that ended Noynoy Aquino’s plans of asking her out on a date. This was among the fond memories that President Aquino shared with friends who accompanied him to his family’s former home in Newton on Monday morning (late Monday night in Manila). Aquino brought a gift for Ione Malloy, the retired American schoolteacher who had bought the house more than a decade ago. Mah-jongg, informal dinners Dr. Mario Bucal, a good friend of the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. in Boston, also joined the President in his nostalgic return to the house that saw a lot of mah-jongg games and informal dinners. The President spent some 30 minutes inside the house with his friends, Doctor Bucal and Malloy. It was a private meeting, which members of the media were not allowed to cover. Coverage of the visit was limited to a photo and video opportunity outside the house. Aquino was overheard by Inquirer photographer Edwin Bacasmas sharing his stories with friends Read More …

This time, Ben Chan mixes theater + skin + circus

 Entertainment
Sep 232014
 
This time, Ben Chan mixes theater + skin + circus

A frequent traveler to the Big Apple, Ben Chan drew inspiration from the Tony award-winning production of Pippin for this year’s ‘The Naked Truth’ — combining theatricality with the element of circus.Photos by WALTER BOLLOZOS, JERRY G. MEJIA of Brooks Institute of Photography and Keren Pascual There was fever pitch excitement — even delirium — in the air last Saturday as, in true theatrical fashion, a 10-minute announcement blared over the speakers, signifying the launch of the biggest and most hotly anticipated biennial entertainment and lifestyle event in Philippine retail history: the Bench Denim and Underwear fashion show. This year, the show was entitled simply, “The Naked Truth.” The announcement came via voiceover, calling to mind the event’s racy and controversial billboards — an event where, every two years, the hottest and most celebrated stars and personalities on screen get cheeky in their skivvies and come out and play. The hashtag (#TheNakedTruth) merited a total of 26,000 Instagram posts from all corners of Mall of Asia Arena as of press time, showcasing everyone from Tom Rodriguez to Ellen Adarna in various states of undress. But if cultural provocation, celebrity pull, and audience reception were any indication of The Naked Truth’s unprecedented success despite setbacks caused by Typhoon Mario, then it is certainly testament to how Bench, in its many years in the industry, is still very much at the top of its game. And it’s showing no signs of slowing. I was fortunate enough to have caught previous installments of Read More …

Sneakers with party clothes?

 Entertainment
Sep 232014
 
Sneakers with party clothes?

All white now: This A. Galang sheer lace skirt and sweater can be paired with contrasting black Nike slipon from Sports Central Mega Fashion Hall. MANILA, Philippines – SM says yes! It all began when Chanel and Dior sent models down the catwalk wearing gowns and embellished sneakers. It all began last January when haute couture Chanel and Christian Dior shows sent models down the catwalk wearing one-of-a-kind gowns and embellished colorful sneakers.  Cara Delevigne was unforgettable at the Chanel Haute Couture spring finale in an ethereal white dress and a pair of dreamy white sneakers. It was not long before stylish celebrities picked up the trend and were sighted in their own versions of sneakers dressing.  It girl Alexa Chung in her Supergas with a knit sweater and mini-skirt ensemble, Taylor Swift’s pretty Keds and flirty day dresses, Kristen Stewart’s edgy Converse or sporty trainers worn with glam dresses, Riri has been shuttling from couture Chanel sneakers worn with lady-like Chanel ensemble to classic Converse pairs worn with charming little dresses. The stylish set’s fixation for a healthier and more comfortable way of living might have paved the way for the popularity of the athleisure trend, deeming it okay to dress your gym-best anytime, anywhere.  Wearing sneakers with dresses is not only comfortable, but adds a cool factor to any outfit. Any woman who sees herself as an avid fashion follower knows that sneakers are the season’s “it” shoes.  And sneaker style goes to SM, as these are paired Read More …

Downsizing out of the box

 Economy
Sep 232014
 
Downsizing out of the box

MANILA, Philippines – I was walking along the parking lot of a mall in Makati when I came across two unlikely cars: a gleaming 1976 Colt Lancer L-Type and an equally pristine 1979 Ford Escort parked right across each other. There being no old school car show or car club meet ongoing at that mall, I chalked it up to coincidence that two well-kept compact sedans from the ‘70s would find themselves parked near each other at the exact same moment.  Then it hit me. Compact. The Escort and Lancer L-Type were the iconic compact sedans of their time. But parked among a sea of late-model Civics, Altises, and Elantras—likewise compact sedans—I was struck by the vast difference in sizes between the cars of two different eras. The Escort and L-Type were dwarfed by their contemporary brethren. The L-Type, in particular, seemed tiny–seemingly smaller and narrower than even a current Ford Fiesta, which is now classified as a subcompact car. What happened? Did we, as human occupants of these cars, double in size? I’d like to think not. But even if obesity is more a concern now than three decades ago, it’s more due to better public awareness than the fact that the population is growing in width. Well, at least not as fast as our cars are growing and gaining weight. Thirty years ago a car like a Corolla or a Lancer would weigh 1,800 to 2,000 pounds. Today they’d weigh at least 2,200 pounds and can tip the Read More …

BSP okays Lucio Co entry into PBCom

 Economy
Sep 232014
 
BSP okays Lucio Co entry into PBCom

MANILA, Philippines – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has approved Puregold owner Lucio Co’s entry into the Philippine Bank of Communications (PBCom). In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, PBCom said the BSP approved last week P.G. Holdings Inc.’s subscription to 181.08 million newly issued common shares of the commercial bank at P33 apiece. The subscription enables Co to gain a 37.7 percent interest in PBCom, making him the bank’s single biggest shareholder.  “PBCom and P. G. Holdings Inc. will now proceed to execute the necessary agreements for this subscription,” the disclosure said. The share sale came following PBCom’s announcement in June that it is planning to raise capital through a stock rights offer, the issuance of capital instruments, and through a private placement. PBCom saw its net income decline by 45 percent to P190.43 million in the first half due to the absence of trading gains, among others. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The bank said it is fasttracking its expansion program this year through the addition of eight new branches to its existing 72. At the same time, PBCom said it wants to operate a total of 10 other banking offices (OBOs) and 200 automated teller machines by year-end. The bank has also acquired Laguna-based Rural Bank of Nagcarlan, Inc. and 90 percent of Banco Dipolog, Inc. whose branches are located in Mindanao and Visayas. The purchases were meant to expand the bank’s market reach in the countryside and increase lending to the Read More …

Ayala Land bares P75-B township dev’t in P’panga

 Economy
Sep 232014
 
Ayala Land bares P75-B township dev’t in P’panga

MANILA, Philippines – Property giant Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), in partnership with Leonio Land Inc., is pouring in P75 billion over the next 20 years to develop a masterplanned township in Central Luzon seen to be the new hub for business and leisure in the region. Alviera, a 1,100-hectare integrated mixed-use development in Porac, Pampanga, will be “a town that is complete in itself” and the Ayala Group’s largest development in Central Luzon to date, ALI officials said in a press briefing yesterday. “This project allows us to do what we do best, and that is develop large-scale, integrated mixed-used communities. Expect great things to happen with Alviera,” ALI president Bernard Vincent Dy said. ALI and Leonio Land are readying P8 billion for the first phase of the project that will include the development of a quarter of the entire property or 207 hectares over the next three years. Dy said funding for the first phase would come from a mix of internal cash flows and potential loans from financial institutions. The first phase of Alviera will consist of an industrial park, three residential communities, two educational institutions, and a country club. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 “With ALI’s rich legacy in developing integrated mixed-use communities, Porac will be transformed to a masterplanned township unlike any other in the province and in the whole of Central Luzon. Makati, Nuvali in Laguna, and Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, all stand as testament to the kind of development Read More …

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