Jericho Rosales teaches school kids the sanitary habit of proper handwashing.
Oct 272014
Oct 262014
Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello on Monday filed a joint resolution calling for the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States, claiming the US is using the treaty to evade accountability for the crimes its soldiers are implicated in. House Joint Resolution No. 19 cites as bases for the VFA’s termination the acts committed by US personnel on Philippine soil that are contrary to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, human rights standards, criminal statutes, and norms and standards concerning the protection and conservation of the environment. The proposed joint resolution also directs the Foreign Affairs Secretary to serve notice of the VFA’s termination to the US government. “This is a resolution whose time has come. We’re happy to be together with the office of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago in filing this,” Bello told reporters after filing the proposal. Bello said the killing of transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude allegedly by a US Marine earlier this month is just the latest addition to the list of offenses committed by the US since the VFA was ratified in 1999. Private First Class Joseh Scott Pemberton is facing a murder complaint in connection with the killing of Laude on Oct. 11 in Olongapo City. At present, Pemberton is detained in Camp Aguinaldo. Other US violations In his resolution, Bello enumerated the other supposed violations the US military has reportedly committed in the span of 15 years the VFA has been in place: the 2005 Subic rape case, the USS Guardian’s destruction Read More …
Oct 262014
Rhian Ramos wants to put up her own fashion collection, “I’d go for streetwear, casual… yung avant garde.”
Oct 262014
Steel railings were again placed outside the Olongapo City Hall of Justice hours before the resumption of the preliminary investigation into the killing of transgender woman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude. Authorities are anticipating more rallies by militant groups in the area in time for the proceedings, radio dzBB’s Sam Nielsen reported Monday. The report said authorities expect militants to again call for the junking of the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. US Marines Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, the suspect in the killing of Laude last Oct. 11, now faces a murder complaint before the Olongapo City Prosecutor’s Office. Pemberton has been detained at the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo but remains under United States custody. It remains unclear if he is to attend Monday’s preliminary investigation. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News
Oct 262014
Some commuters in Cebu were reported stranded Monday morning due to a protest caravan by militant public transport drivers and operators. Affected areas in Cebu included the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, RGMA Cebu’s Norman Mendoza reported on dzBB radio. The Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON) had organized the transport caravans to protest the Joint Administrative Order of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and Land Transportation Office. The LTFRB and LTO’s JAO took effect last June 19, and imposed high penalties on colorum vehicles and traffic violations. State-run Philippine Information Agency’s Cebu unit said PISTON’s members from Consolacion, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Compostela took part in the protest. But in Metro Manila, dzBB’s Glen Juego reported there had been no stranded passengers so far in Caloocan City. — Joel Locsin/RSJ, GMA News
Oct 262014
MANILA, Philippines — Cameraphone users who are interested in keeping up with the latest news now have the chance to earn money and be a part of the news gathering process with a revolutionary app that is shaping up to be a trailblazer in user-generated content production. Philstar.com and The Philippine Star take photo crowdsourcing in the Philippines to a whole new level as they team with Finland-based P2S Media Group, Inc. in bringing Scoopshot, a smartphone application that allows citizens to contribute photos and videos from the day’s hot news events. Scoopshot provides news agencies like Philstar access to hundreds and thousands of crowdsourced photos and videos from around the world. Photos deemed fit for a news article can be used by buying it from the contributor. Through this setup, Scoopshot users can sell their photos to news agencies and at the same time get recognized for their contribution. The app is available in the App Store and Play Store, and once installed, it allows users to shoot and sell their photos and videos for publication. Likewise, new agencies can also set up a task to call for various submissions, where chosen entries get monetary compensation. Currently, the app is being used in 170 countries and about 60 publications worldwide use the service. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 “We are shaping user-generated content in the Philippines as our readers will soon join others from around the world in this endeavor. User-generated content will have a Read More …
Oct 262014
Filipinos taking sea vessels to their home provinces for Undas (All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days) were advised Monday to avoid carrying too much baggage for the trip. The Philippine Coast Guard made this appeal to travelers as its personnel were instructed to check vessels against overloading, radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported Monday. Coast Guard spokesman Cmdr. Armand Balilo also said Coast Guard teams have instructions to check if vessels are seaworthy. The Coast Guard has also deployed K-9 teams to sniff out possible contraband or explosives. Filipinos are expected to head for the provinces this weekend to pay their respects to their dearly departed. Cemetery cleanup Meanwhile, in Metro Manila, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino led the cleanup of the South Cemetery in Manila before dawn Monday. The MMDA posted on its Twitter site photos of Tolentino supervising the cleanup efforts where workers swept the cemetery grounds. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News
Oct 262014
Militant transport groups in parts of Metro Manila and Cebu started early Monday their protest actions against a joint admimistrative order imposing heavier penalties on colorums and other traffic violations. In Quezon City, members of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON) held their protests at Aurora Boulevard in Cubao, radio dzBB’s Glen Juego reported. The PISTON members urged other drivers to take part in their protest caravan scheduled later in the morning. Photos tweeted by Juego showed PISTON members carrying placards and using a public address system mounted on their vehicle to protest the Joint Administrative Order of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and Land Transportation Office. The JAO, which went into effect last June, had imposed heavier penalties on colorums and other traffic violations. PISTON members also held similar activities early Monday along the Alabang-Zapote Road in southern Metro Manila, dzBB’s Roland Bola reported. Meanwhile, in Cebu, state-run Philippine Information Agency reported PISTON members joining the nationwide protest gathered in the Ibabao-Estancia area. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News
Oct 262014
THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) is targeting to complete over P258-billion worth of infrastructure projects by 2019, in line with the target timeline for the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) P2.61-trillion Road map for Transport Infrastructure Development for Metro Manila and Its Surrounding Areas, known simply as the “Dream Plan”.
Oct 262014
TWO BILLS seeking to impose a logging ban in areas in Mindanao have been approved on third and final reading at the House of Representatives.