September 2014 – Page 29

Maricel Soriano proud ‘Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real’

Sep 132014

DIAMOND Star Maricel Soriano has expressed her gratitude for the support the viewers are giving to GMA-7’s primetime series “Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real”. In an interview with the seasoned actress at a recent pocket press conference of the series, Soriano said that she could not ask for more as her comeback show on television was a success. “Itong buong soap opera na ito, hindi ko makakalimutan. Ang saya saya ko. Pinagdasal ko ito e. First time kong gumawa ng ganito kabigat on television kaya proud na proud ako kasi yung mga kasama ko magagaling. Salamat talaga sa oportunidad na ito. Sobra akong masaya,” she said. The actress said she had a hard time portraying the role of Millet Real because she is the total opposite of her character in real life. She said she cannot give such kind of unconditional love to someone and would rather leave something for herself. “Honestly, nahirapan ako kay Milett. Ibang klase siyang mag mahal and hindi ko kaya yung ganung unconditional love na binigay niya sa asawa niya. Mahirap magbigay ng ganung klaseng pagmamahal,” the Diamond Star said. Despite her challenging role, Soriano said her main co-stars Lovi Poe and Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes are making her work easy. “Lahat sila magagaling at wala akong masabi sa professionalism nila. Masayang magtrabaho kasi maayos at mababait ang kasama mo,” she said. When asked if she is open in doing a similar project, Maricel said her doors are always open for shows on GMA-7. “Why Read More …

Charice reconciles with Mom, brother

Entertainment

Sep 132014

AFTER their much-publicized rift last year, Charice and her mother, Raquel Pempengco, have settled their differences in private. The international singing sensation surprised her followers on image-sharing app Instagram earlier this week when she posted a photo of her, Raquel, brother Carl and girlfriend Alyssa Quijano. She wrote: “Monthsary celebration with family. Also for the people who doubted and thought we wouldn’t be okay. Screw you all. Now please shut up, move on and let us live our lives as one happy family.” Charice has not been with her family for quite a while. To recall, Raquel was not beside her daughter when the singer came out on national television as gay. Pempengco was not also in favor of Charice’s romantic relationship with Quijano. (Sunnex) DISCLAIMER: Sun.Star website welcomes friendly debate, but comments posted on this site do not necessary reflect the views of the Sun.Star management and its affiliates. Sun.Star reserves the right to delete, reproduce or modify comments posted here without notice. Posts that are inappropriate will automatically be deleted. Forum rules: Do not use obscenity. Some words have been banned. Stick to the topic. Do not veer away from the discussion. Be coherent and respectful. Do not shout or use CAPITAL LETTERS!

5 clichés that are true and backed up by science

General

Sep 122014

5 clichés that are true and backed up by science

MANILA, Philippines — Clichés may be overrated, but these phrases save you from that awkward moment when you just cannot verbalize what you really wanted to say. Clichés are always there whenever we want to make an excuse. Take for example when you just broke up with someone. Your friends will always tell you this – “You can’t love someone else until you love yourself.” These aren’t just words told to console you or make you stop from wallowing. Psychological science says that people with higher self-esteem tend to have higher-quality marriages, reporting more trust and intimacy that people with lower self-esteem. So you literally have to love yourself before having a successful relationship with someone. You may not know it, but here are some of the most over used clichés, which are actually true whether you like it or not: “You learn from your mistakes” Wish there is a button that says “press me” whenever you are about to make the mistake you already did? Well, human brains already do. A study at the University of Exeter, which was published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, found out that the lower temporal region of a human brain sends out a “warning signal” before you could register a conscious though whenever you are about to repeat a past mistake. Amazingly, this process only takes 0.1 seconds. That does not mean through that you would automatically stop what you are about to do, but at least part of your brain did Read More …

Families to ‘Walk n’ Roll’ on Sept. 20 for ataxia that afflicts many

Entertainment

Sep 122014

Fil-Ams among victims of debilitating disease By Rhony Laigo If not for the universal campaign of the Ice Bucket Challenge, the Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease may have been just that – a disease that has no cure. Now, ALS is known worldwide. But unknown to many, another debilitating disease that affects many, including the young, also needs the same kind of attention and because it is passed from one generation to another. On September 20, American families, their relatives and friends, and advocates will do just that. They will troop to the City of Long Beach to participate in the Sixth Annual LA/OC Walk n’ Roll for Ataxia so more people may be aware of an unfamiliar neurological disorder called ataxia, which simply means “lack of coordination.” Starting from 340 S. Pine Avenue, the Saturday 1K Walk n’ Roll for Ataxia Awareness in Long Beach at the Aquarium of the Pacific area will coincide with the International Ataxia Awareness Day. Personally, I know people here in Southern California who have been suffering from ataxia or the lack of muscle control caused by the disease. One is close to Balita family and her name is Moira, whose mother, Saira Velasco, better known in the Philippine celebrity world as Bunny Paras, used to be our Advertising Manager for the Motoring Section. Saira had to semi-retire to focus on her daughter, who was diagnosed with the disease four years ago. Moira is only 15. Two other friends of mine, back from my Novaliches Read More …

Splash injects P250M into food unit

General

Sep 122014

MANILA, Philippines – Homegrown beauty and personal care products manufacturer Splash Corp. is injecting P250 million in fresh capital to boost operations of its food unit. In a disclosure to the local bourse, Splash said its board of directors approved the increase in subscription and paid-up capital in subsidiary Splash Foods Corp. by 250 million shares at a value of P1 per share. The company said the fresh capital would be used as working capital requirements in its food business. “Funding will come from the collection of another subsidiary’s loan payment,” Splash said. Splash made its foray into the food business through the acquisition of Barrio Fiesta Manufacturing Corp. (BFMC) in August 2011 and Moondish Foods Corp. in 2012. BFMC and Moondish both offer several canned ready-to-eat Filipino product such as sautéed shrimp paste, sauces, fruit preserves and other condiments. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 In the first half of this year, Splash’s foods division registered a 22-percent growth, driven mainly by international operations. Splash Foods International’s turnover surged 50 percent, led by an expanded distribution network in North America, Middle East, Europe and Australia. The subsidiary launched Barrio Fiesta Mixes in bulalo, tinola and sinigang variants in the US in April. For this year, Splash expects robust growth for Barrio Fiesta and Moondish brands in the Middle East and North America by increasing its distribution network and implementing more consistently its brand activations. Splash is the company behind brands SkinWhite and Maxi-Peel. The personal care Read More …

Aboitiz Group seeks to retain Big 3 status in power sector

Economy

Sep 122014

Aboitiz Group seeks to retain Big 3 status in power sector

MANILA, Philippines – The Aboitiz Group seeks to retain its position as one of the country’s Big Three power players in the coming years by remaining aggressive in the hunt for state-owned facilities and supply contracts that are yet to be privatized. In an interview, Aboitiz Power Corp. chief executive officer Erramon Aboitiz said the company is keen on joining all government auctions in the power sector. “We would look at all the power assets. We tend to look at all the power deals and try to understand it and decide if we want to participate,” Aboitiz said. He cited two specific government supply contracts which the company currently has its sights set on. “So we have the Unified Leyte bulk energy. We are now studying the Mt. Apo IPPA (independent power producer administrator). I think part of the schedule of PSALM is to do the Steag IPPA so we would look at that also,” Aboitiz said. AboitizPower in February this year has been awarded by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) 40 megwatts of the Unified Leyte geothermal power plants’ output. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The IPPA contract for the Mt. Apo 1 and 2 geothermal power plants in North Cotabato are currently being put up for bidding to the private sector as well. Auction for the IPPA of the 210-MW Steag State Power Inc coal plant in Misamis Oriental, meanwhile, has yet to be scheduled. AboitizPower has earmarked a capital Read More …

AsPac urged to draw up policy framework for TV ‘white space’ Internet technology

Economy

Sep 122014

AsPac urged to draw up policy framework for TV ‘white space’ Internet technology

MANILA, Philippines – An international information communications technology (ICT) advocate said that Asia Pacific governments should already start discussing policy frameworks that should be put in place to allow the establishment of Television White Space (TVWS) Internet technology infrastructure in their respective countries. TVWS refers to the vacant frequencies located between broadcast TV channels which could be used to provide wireless data connectivity to remote communities. TVWS Internet makes use of the “White Space” or the unused frequency in between channels to accommodate Internet band with connectivity. Akhtar Badshah, chairman of the Telecentre.org Foundation which is promoting the search for the use of the Internet to generate opportunities for the widest section of the world’s population, said that lawmakers and policymakers should look at putting in place the regulatory framework to support TVWS Internet infrastructure and systems establishment in the different countries in the region, to make internet access more accessible especially to still unserved areas in their respective countries. “It’s a great invention, its a great technology,” Badshah said in his address at the opening Sept. 10 of the two-day Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) Digital Opportunity Center (ADOC) International Conference: the 10th Year Presentation, at the Dusit Thani Hotel in the Ayala central business district in Makati City. Badshah said that the ADOC International Conference was one such venue for such discussions on the setting up of the regulatory framework in the APEC member economies to support TVWS Internet systems establishment. Badshah pointed out in his presentation that Read More …

Indonesian palm oil producer to enter Phl market

Economy

Sep 122014

Indonesian palm oil producer to enter Phl market

MANILA, Philippines – Indonesian palm oil producer PT Musim Mas plans to expand its operations by entering the Philippine market. Togar Sitanggang, senior manager for corporate affairs of PT Musim Mas, told reporters yesterday the firm is interested in opening a palm oil plantation in Mindanao. A team from the company would visit Mindanao sometime this year to look at potential sites. The company is interested in some 900,000 hectares of land for possible palm oil production in Mindanao. “We are in the very early stage. Whether we will invest or not, we still don’t know yet,” Sitanggang said. Depending on the land available to the firm, he said the company may also invest in a refinery. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Before deciding on making an investment in the Philippines, he said the company would need to find a local partner. In deciding on investments, he said the company needs to ensure that the place offers an environment that supports business. At the same time, the land to be used for production should not be subject to any dispute and there should be no security issues. “By next year, we may know what we will do,” he said. PT Musim Mas is Indonesia’s second largest palm oil producer. Apart from Indonesia, the firm currently has operations in Malaysia, India, China and some countries in Europe.

Apex Mining acquires Monte Oro Resources

Economy

Sep 122014

Apex Mining acquires Monte Oro Resources

MANILA, Philippines – Listed Apex Mining Co. Inc. is acquiring all outstanding capital stock of Monte Oro Resources & Energy from various shareholders to expand its mining business. In a regulatory filing yesterday, the company announced that its board approved last Thursday the cash purchase of shares from Monte Oro shareholders Prime Metroline Holdings Inc., Lakeland Village Holdings Inc., Devoncourt Estates Inc., A. Brown Company Inc., Wealth Securities Inc. and other shareholders of Monte Oro. The buyout involves 5,122,161,096 shares at par value of one peso apiece. The acquisition would be funded from cash raised through the issuance of new shares as the company raises its authorized capital stock. Apex said the acquisition would give it access to another mineral processing plant, as well as expansion opportunities in Jose Panganiban in Camarines Norte. This would also strengthen the company’s balance sheet with an increase in its asset base and equity. Monte Oro fully owns Paracale Gold Ltd. that runs a mineral processing plant in Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte, and 40 percent of Bunawan Mineral Resources Corporation which has two mining lease contracts covering 653.28 hectares and pending applications for production sharing agreement and exploration permits. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Monte Oro also has a 30 percent interest in Service Contract no. 72 that covers an offshore gas project in Palawan, as well as a 52 percent stake in International Cleanvironment Systems Inc. that has a solid waste management contract with the Philippine government for Metro Read More …

Almirante: Notice of closure of business

Economy

Sep 122014

Almirante: Notice of closure of business

LAST Feb. 12, 2004, Sangwoo Philippines, Inc. (SPI) notified its employees who are members of Sangwoo Philippines, Inc. Employees Union (SPEU) of its permanent closure and cessation of business operation effective March 16, 2004 due to serious economic losses and financial reverses. The notice was posted in conspicuous places within the company premises. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) was furnished a copy of the notice last Feb. 13, 2004, together with a separate letter notifying it of the company’s permanent closure. SPEU was also furnished with a copy. In a case filed by SPEU against SPI, the labor arbiter (LA), the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and the Court of Appeals (CA) found that SPI complied with the notice requirement before closure of business. Did they err? The Supreme Court (Second Division) ruling: Yes. Article 297 of the Labor Code provides that before any employee is terminated due to closure of business, it must give a one month’s prior written notice to the employee and to the DOLE. In this relation, case law instructs that it is the personal right of the employee to be personally informed of his proposed dismissal as well as the reasons for it; and such requirement of notice is not a mere technicality or formality which the employer may dispense with. Since the purpose of previous notice is to, among others, give the employee some time to prepare for the eventual loss of his job, the employer has the positive duty to inform Read More …

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