Maniolas

President Benigno S. Aquino III poses with pupils of the newly repaired classrooms of Guiuan East Central School in Barangay 8, Poblacion, Guiuan during the visit to the province of Eastern Samar on Friday (November 07). It was in Guiuan where super Typhoon Yolanda, the strongest typhoon ever recorded, made its first landfall on November 08, 2013. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – On the 67th year of the historic adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in 1948, human rights groups called on the Philippine government to lead the way in protecting rights defenders amid an integrated ASEAN economy. In a joint statement on Wednesday, December 10, the Medical Action Group (MAG) and Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) said, “the Philippines should ensure that the leadership it shows in terms of promoting human rights in the ASEAN is reflected in our national laws.” MAG and TFDP were referring to the looming integration of ASEAN economies in 2015, which might have a deep impact on the economic, social, and cultural rights of Filipinos, especially of human rights defenders. They said human rights can be protected and advanced through the enactment of a law, even as efforts should be made in conducting a comprehensive legislative audit in order to review and repeal policies that sometimes criminalize defenders in doing their work. MAG and TFDP claimed their records show an “alarming increase in the use of laws to impede activities of human rights defenders.” “We Read More …

Household income, consumer spending, and poverty levels vary widely among AAPI groups WASHINGTON, D.C.  – A new research report from AARP reveals economic disparity among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) age 50+. When viewed as a whole, AAPIs appear more financially secure than the general population, but the aggregate totals and median averages mask a large wealth and income gap among AAPIs. While a few AAPI groups have higher levels of household income and consumer spending, many more Asian ethnic groups are at or below poverty levels compared to the general population of the same age. “We are committed to bringing attention to the needs of AAPI 50+ so that gaps in knowledge about and services for these communities are met,” said Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Markets and Engagement for the Asian American and Pacific Islander Audience. “AAPIs are consistently understudied and underserved. Our research demonstrates that the priority needs of AAPIs differ by ethnic group, age, language, income, the length of time they’ve lived in the U.S., and other factors.” AARP’s report about the economic security of older AAPIs reveals that: AAPIs age 65+ are more economically vulnerable compared to the total U.S. population of the same age because they are less likely to have pensions, social security, and other financial products like health insurance and retirement savings: 14% of AAPIs age 65+ are on food stamps vs. 9% of the total U.S. 65+ population 13% of AAPIs age 65+ live in poverty vs. 9% of the total Read More …

The kids are from the Adrian Manzano (named after Edu Manzano’s dad) Cancer Wing  of Philippine Children’s Medical Center.

15 shots depicting what it is like to be livin’ la vida dela Greta!