Check out the fashion trends this December and early 2015.
Dec 082014
Dec 082014
Heart has moved to her own place, finished high school, and more.
Dec 072014
The California Association of Healthcare Facilities has recently awarded Southland’s Director of Nursing, Shony Del Pilar with the prestigious “2014 Nurse of the Year” award, which was “designed to recognize an outstanding professional in the field of nursing, who has demonstrated superb leadership, a strong commitment to quality patient care and a devotion in improving the lives of patients as well as the employees they work with on a daily basis.” The Award announcement stated: Shony Del Pilar is regularly recognized as one of the strongest clinician’s in the community. Known for her personal approach with residents, efective departmental organization and tireless work ethic, she continuously focuses on improving resident health, safety and quality of life and her drive to achieve excellence makes Southland a better place for patients, family members and staff.” Shony del Pilar Born as Asuncion “Shony” Romero by father Eric Sr., from Pampanga and mother, Maria Floresca from Catarman, Samar, Shony was raised in Taguig, Rizal, where she graduated high school from Foundation College. Ambitious and focused on a carreer in Nursing early on, Shony was determined to pursue a degree in Nursing by enrolling at the Far Eastern University in Manila, where she graduated with a degree in Nursing in 1978. Initially, she worked as a staff nurse at the Pasig General Hospital and while working there, she learned of the benefits of being a daughter of a US Veteran, thus with sheer luck, she subsequently was able to emigrate to the US in search of distant relatives who were kind enough to Read More …
Dec 072014
Julia Barretto (MNS Photo) Julia Barretto on Wednesday signed a multi-picture contract with Star Cinema, which includes her movie debut, “Para sa Hopeless Romantic.” Barretto said it is a dream come true for her to finally join the Star Cinema family. “I am so excited. This has been a dream of mine, to sign under Star Cinema and it’s a multi-picture contract so I’m really really excited,” she said. “My dream projects – as an artist, I have a lot – one of them, siguro I want to do a rom-com since I’m very young also pa. But of course drama also. I want to get to that point as well.” Barretto also said she is fortunate to be working with Iñigo Pascual in her very first movie. “We are almost done actually, we’ve been shooting since last month. Inigo is my partner here and we are almost done with the film… Very fun, sobrang bait ni Iñigo. Madali siyang makasama. Magaan ‘yung loob ko sa kanya. For a first timer, he’s really good.” she said. Since both their parents come from show business, Barretto said she and Pascual immediately had something in common. “We get to talk about [the pressure of having showbiz parents] because we are under the same pressure. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why we really get along. We understand each other. By that, we know how we feel, we have each other’s backs and we are able to help each other and make each Read More …
Dec 072014
John Estrada (MNS Photo) Before becoming one of today’s prized actors, John Estrada was a teenager in Basilan who never stopped dreaming of appearing on TV one day. His grandmother initially thought his ambition was pie in the sky until producer Douglas Quijano discovered him to play a part in the iconic sitcom “Palibhasa Lalake.” The show gave John the opportunity to have more than what he asked for. He also met there Janice de Belen, with whom he would later have four children. “Tuwing nanonood ako ng TV sa Basilan no’n, katabi ko lagi ’yung lola ko. Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘‘’Di bale, balang araw, makikita mo ako diyan.’ Sabi ng lola ko, ‘Ha? Ikaw talaga apo oh.’ Mahirap daw managinip ng gising.” There came a time when ABS-CBN management wanted to “kill” his character on “Palibhasa Lalake” but the show producer stood by his side. “After a year, gusto akong tanggalin ng ABS-CBN dahil hindi daw ako nagwo-work as a third guy on the show. Pero sabi ni Douglas, ‘Kung tatanggalin si John, tanggalin niyo na ’yung buong (cast ng) ‘Palibhasa,’” he shared. “Pero sinabihan ako ni Dougs nu’n, ‘Kung hindi ka pa magse-shape up, wala akong magagawa, tatanggalin ka.” Interestingly enough, John is the only talent from “Palibhasa Lalake” who has stayed with ABS-CBN all these times. “Hindi naman loyalty, pero parang ayaw nila akong pakawalan kasi may mga kumukuha naman sa aking iba,” he said. “I’m so proud to say that for 25 years, I stayed Read More …
Dec 072014
Gazmin cites enhanced military ties with US in calmer but disputed waters In this photo taken Feb. 25, 2014 by surveillance planes and released Thursday, May 15, 2014, by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, a Chinese vessel, top center, is used to expand structures and land on the Johnson Reef, called Mabini by the Philippines and Chigua by China, at the Spratly Islands at South China Sea, Philippines. The Philippines has protested China’s reclamation of land in the disputed reef in the South China Sea that can be used to build an airstrip or an offshore military base in the increasingly volatile region, the country’s top diplomat and other officials said Wednesday, May 14, 2014. The white arrow was added by the source. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Chinese vessels stopped harassing Filipino ships en route to the disputed Ayungin Shoal after the Philippines and the United States signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement in April, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin told a Senate committee on Monday. Gazmin claimed that the EDCA—which provides for increased US military presence in the country and US access to Philippine military bases—was “a deterrent” against external security threats such as those presented by China. “Right now, we use EDCA as a deterrent to threats to our security. As we continue using the EDCA, we continue to fill the gap [of our Armed Forces] through our modernization program,” Gazmin said during the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on the EDCA. Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Read More …
Dec 072014
SEOUL, South Korea) President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomes National Pension Service (NPS) of Korea chairman and chief executive officer Kwang Choi during a meeting at the Grand Hyatt Hotel here during his State Visit on Friday (October 18). NPS has gained over 20 million contributors, 3.3 million beneficiaries and emerged as the third largest pension fund in the world with over 400 trillion won in assets. Also in photo are Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Secretary to the Cabinet Jose Rene Almendras. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Rough and cold weather has been hindering the search for the 52 people, including 10 Filipinos, who went missing after a Korean vessel sank off Russia, Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul S. Hernandez said Wednesday. Hernandez said despite the challenge, authorities are doing their best “to do what needs to be done during the search and rescue operations.” “Search and rescue operations is ongoing, and we have yet to hear the authorities here in Seoul, and also from our embassy in Moscow,” he said, adding the families of those missing have already been contacted by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). There were 13 Filipinos aboard the ill-fated vessel, but three have already been rescued. Hernandez said the three, whom he refused to identify, are in stable condition, and will be brought either to South Korea or the Philippines. “So far, wala pa kaming naririnig na developments sa pagbabalik nila sa Korea or repatriation [to Read More …
Dec 072014
The controversial resthouse owned by PNP chief Dir. Gen. Alan Purisima in Barangay Magpapalayok, San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija was opened to the media on Monday, October 6. Purisima is facing plunder complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman over alleged ill-gotten wealth. He has denied the charges. (MNS photo) Manila, Philippines | AFP – Torture of suspected criminals by police in the Philippines has thrived under the administration of President Benigno Aquino, human rights monitor Amnesty International said Thursday. Dozens of beatings, rapes and electrocutions are being recorded by the country’s human rights commission every year, with many other cases going unreported, Amnesty secretary general Salil Shetty told reporters. “Torture by the police is very widespread and routine,” Shetty said. Shetty said ending torture could be a “very important legacy” for Aquino, whose six-year term will end in 2016, but he accused the president of not doing enough to reform the police force. “If you don’t acknowledge the problem, there can be no solution,” Shetty said. Quoting data from the Philippine human rights commission, Amnesty said 457 torture cases were reported from 2001 to the middle of this year. The 75 cases recorded in 2013 was the highest in a single year. But, five years after the Philippines passed landmark anti-torture legislation under previous president Gloria Arroyo, there have been no convictions, Shetty said. “The single, most important reason why there is torture in the Philippines is they (police) get away with it,” he said. He said low salaries also Read More …
Dec 072014
President Benigno S. Aquino III, assisted by Mrs. Bernardita Bautista, confers the Philippine Legion of Honor with the degree of Chief Commander on outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Emmanuel Bautista during the Testimonial Review and AFP Change of Command Ceremony at the AFP General Headquarters Grandstand, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City Friday (July 18, 2014). (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Col. Restituto Padilla Jr. will succeed Maj. Gen. Domingo Tutaan Jr., who will retire on Dec. 4 after holding the post since May 2013. Armed Forces of the Philippines A distinguished Philippine Air Force officer will be the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ new spokesperson, the military announced Saturday. The AFP said incoming spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla Jr. will succeed Maj. Gen. Domingo Tutaan Jr., who will retire on Dec. 4 after holding the post since May 2013. “Padilla has just finished his stint as the Philippine Liaison to the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) in Hawaii and is now the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, J7,” the AFP said. It will not be Padilla’s first spokesman stint – he had served as PAF public information chief in 2006 and Secretary of Air Staff in 2007. According to the AFP, Padilla is a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Sandiwa” Class of 1985 and will be a spokesman for the 120,000-strong AFP. The AFP also said Padilla was recently awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for his extraordinary planning Read More …
Dec 072014
Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago announces during a press conference on Wednesday (July 2, 2014) that she has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. “God never asks us for an opinion. God just goes ahead and does whatever is in His hands. I just say okay,” Santiago says. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Just a day after her colleagues approved the proposed P2.6 trillion 2015 national budget on 3rd and final reading, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago maintained that next year’s appropriations is not pork-free and is an election budget meant to influence the outcome of the presidential elections. “It is meant to give more money to the President’s allies and departments of government which are viewed as crucial to the end result of the elections. One example is the [Department of the Interior and Local Government]. There is no more grassroot agency closer than the DILG,” she said. She questioned the huge budget of the agency headed by presumptive Liberal Party standard-bearer, Mar Roxas. The House version of the budget allots P141.1 billion to the DILG in 2015. Santiago questioned the DILG’s projects to put up water systems, a function that should be within the scope of the National Irrigation Administration. “The DILG is one of the most glaring examples of lopsided budgeting,” she said. She earlier claimed there is as much as P37 billion in pork barrel funds in the budget. Santiago expressed satisfaction at the deletion of the phrase “at any time” in the provision that allows the Read More …