Hukad cooks up expansion plans

 Economy
Dec 042014
 
Hukad cooks up expansion plans

NEW BRANCH. Kenneth and Kristine Kokseng talk to reporters during the opening of Hukad in South Town Center in Tabunok, Talisay. On Wednesday, Hukad introduced five dishes, which include spicy beef flakes, oxtail humba, balot sisig, tropical brulee and ube halayan crisp a la mode. The couple said the dishes will be made available first in their Lahug branch late this month or early next year. (SUN.STAR FOTO/ALLAN DEFENSOR) HOMEGROWN Filipino restaurant Hukad of couple Kenneth and Kristine Kokseng are set for wider expansion next year as more mall establishments sprout across the country. Kenneth, in an interview on Wednesday, told reporters there are two confirmed Hukad branches to open next year, one in Iloilo and the other in Zamboanga. At present, there are 21 branches of Hukad and Golden Cowrie in Visayas and Mindanao, the newly-opened one being Hukad in South Town Center in Tabunok, Talisay. The restaurant opened four branches this year. These are in Tacloban City, Tagum City in Davao, Bacolod and Talisay City in Cebu. Golden Cowrie and Hukad bear the same menu but the former adopts a stand-alone set up while Hukad is inside commercial establishments. “We’re more on Hukad because most of the expansions are inside the malls,” Kenneth said. Of the existing branches, Christine said eight are in Cebu and all are company-owned. The 13 others are franchised. The farthest branch in the Visayas is in Boracay and General Santos in Mindanao. The couple said they are also looking forward to open Hukad in Manila, Read More …

Holiday Make-up by Colina Salon

 Entertainment
Dec 042014
 
Holiday Make-up by Colina Salon

Marlou Colina of Colina Salo The holiday season gets busy with parties and events. Let your beauty stand out, and let the “celebrity make-up artist to the stars”  Marlou Colina of Colina Salon take care of it. From conventional make-up technique to the high definition coverage airbrush make-up, Colina Salon offers top-notch hair and make-up design that made celebrities trust its expertise over the years. “Fashion is not complete without the total look. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Colina believes. Colina Salon now offers killer-deal promo of $80 hairstyling and conventional make-up for the holiday. They also offer lots of promos on all services from hair, skincare, nails and MC beauty products. To schedule your appointment, call 5629883101 or visit www.colinasaloninc.com. Colina Salon is located at 3505 Long Beach Blvd. Suite 2E Long Beach CA 90807. Open Mon-Sat 10AM-7PM.

Spotify foe Swift at No. 1 with streaming-backed chart

 General
Dec 042014
 
Spotify foe Swift at No. 1 with streaming-backed chart

Taylor Swift has accused Spotify of harming the music industry, but she returned to number one Wednesday as the benchmark US album chart for the first time factored in streaming. Swift’s “1989” — which last month had the biggest debut of any US album in 12 years — returned to the top spot on the Billboard 200 for the seven days through Sunday after slipping for one week. As part of the chart’s biggest revamp since 1991, tracking company Nielsen SoundScan is including streaming in its measurements amid the rapid growth of services such as Spotify which allow music fans to listen to unlimited music on demand. Swift benefited from another change as part of the Billboard 200’s revamp — digital downloads of songs, with 10 purchases equivalent to one album sale. She sold 339,000 “album equivalent units” in the week, with 83 percent of the sales still traditional album sales either in physical or digital format. “1989” also gained ground due to the lack of a new blockbuster debut. British boy band One Direction’s “Four,” which dethroned Swift when it came out, slipped in its second week to, incidentally, number four. New release “Shady XV,” a compilation double-album by Eminem and affiliated rappers, entered at number three. Number two was a Christmas album by the Texas a cappella group Pentatonix. The clearest beneficiary of the chart’s changes was teenage star turned pop singer Ariana Grande, whose “My Everything” shot up from number 39 to number seven, with one-third of Read More …

Binibining Pilipinas USA seeks licensees for U.S. regional pageants

 Entertainment
Dec 042014
 
Binibining Pilipinas USA seeks licensees for U.S. regional pageants

Los Angeles – In preparation for its upcoming 3rd annual BINIBINING PILIPINAS USA 2015 Pageant (“Your Destiny Awaits!”), scheduled for August 2015, in Los Angeles, CA, the Binibining Pilipinas USA organization announced today that it is seeking regional/local pageant directors from various regions around the United States to operate, manage, and conduct official local pageants or candidate searches, with an eye towards finding the next Binibining Pilipinas USA queen. “There isn’t a more effective way to reach every corner of the Filipino community in the U.S. than to partner up with our supporters in other states,” said President/CEO Mildred Deang. “Our future partners outside of Southern California live in large communities where many beautiful Filipinas live, and we look forward to working with them to find our next titleholder,” she added. This prestigious national pageant seeks those special young women in today’s Filipino-American communities who not only have the beauty, grace and elegance to compete on an international level, and who also have the dynamic personalities that set them apart from the rest. Interested parties are urged to contact pageant organizers through Associate Producer, Joey Galon, for further inquiries. He will work closely with regional competitions to find the best candidates to send as representatives to the national pageant in Los Angeles. Regional pageants shall be completed by May 2015 in order to provide candidates sufficient time to prepare for the national pageant. Details of the regional licensee responsibilities will be outlined in writing, so get in touch now. (Soli Read More …

PNoy signs law increasing burial aid for veterans

 Entertainment
Dec 042014
 
PNoy signs law increasing burial aid for veterans

President Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his speech during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2015 kick-off ceremony at The Eye Ballroom of the Green Sun Hotel in Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City on Monday night (December 01). (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Benigno Aquino III has signed a law increasing the burial assistance for Filipino war veterans. Through Republic Act (R.A.) 10649, signed by Aquino last November 27, Filipino veterans are now entitled to P20,000 in burial assistance, from the previous P10,000. The new law amended Section 20 of Republic Act 6948, which standardizes benefits for military veterans. The budget for the implementation of this new law will be included and taken from appropriations for the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) under the Department of National Defense. Under R.A. 10649, the increased burial aid shall be given to bereaved family members who applied for the assistance within two years from the veteran’s death. Filipino war veterans who are entitled to a similar benefit from the United States government are not entitled to the higher burial assistance. (MNS)

Congress to pass 13th month pay exemption hike, 8 other bills, before Christmas break

 General
Dec 042014
 
Congress to pass 13th month pay exemption hike, 8 other bills, before Christmas break

Rizal Park Management personnel install colorful native lanterns, or parols, at the park on Wednesday. Less than a month before Christmas, establishments are busy beautifying and adding Christmas decorations for the Yuletide season. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Tuesday that Congressional leaders have agreed to tackle and pass a host of key measures before the Christmas break, including laws to purge unfair business practices, and to increase the take-home pay of workers in the private and public sectors. “After our monthly meeting, we reached a consensus with the House of Representatives to enact at least eight or nine proposed measures before Congress takes a break on December 17,” said Drilon. “We resolved to finish the priority measures, in recognition of their immense benefits to the public and the urgency needed to properly effect such legislation,” he added. “For instance, we are bound to enact the bill that will raise the tax exemption ceiling of the 13th-month pay and other benefits from P30,000 to P82,000, so that the President will be able to sign it before the year ends,” said Drilon, noting that the House agreed to adopt the Senate’s version of the bill. In the House version, the limit was pegged at P75,000. Drilon said Congress will pass the Fair Competition Act “in order to promote economic efficiency in trade, industry and commerce through the prohibition of anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position, and anti-competitive mergers that distort and restrict competition.” “Having a competition Read More …

Australian, UK nationals in PHL advised to take precautions on Ruby

 News
Dec 032014
 
Australian, UK nationals in PHL advised to take precautions on Ruby

Australian and British nationals staying in the Philippines were advised Thursday to take precautions amid the threat from Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit). The Australian and British governments issued separate updates to their travel advice for the Philippines. “(Ruby) is expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain and storm surges to coastal areas. Australians in the Philippines should monitor the media for information on the storm and follow the instructions of local authorities,” the Australian government said on its updated travel advice. It said Ruby “is expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain and storm surges to coastal areas.” Also, it advised Australians in the Philippines to “monitor the media for information on the storm and follow the instructions of local authorities.” Ruby entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility at 3 a.m. Thursday. State weather agency PAGASA said there is a chance it may make landfall on Eastern Visayas on Saturday. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office similarly advised its nationals in the Philippines to take precautions as well. It said Ruby is likely to remain in the Philippines until Tuesday, Dec. 9. PAGASA has also warned of possible storm surges with waves as high as three to four meters this weekend along the coastlines of Eastern Visayas. “There is also a risk of flash floods in low lying areas, and landslides in mountain regions,” it added. “British nationals in the Visayas and Mindanao should continue to monitor weather forecasts and advisories and follow the instructions of government officials, police Read More …

Open doors to those displaced by Ruby, CBCP president asks churches, schools

 News
Dec 032014
 
Open doors to those displaced by Ruby, CBCP president asks churches, schools

Typhoon Hagupit enters PAR Thursday morning. “At 4:00 am today, the eye of Typhoon “RUBY” was located based on all available data at 942 km East Northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur or 1,023 km East of Surigao City (9.4?N, 134.8?E), with maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 210 kph. It is forecast to move West Northwest at 25 kph. Northeast monsoon affecting Northern Luzon,” PAGASA said Thursday in its 5:00 a.m. bulletin. PAGASA The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Thursday asked churches and schools to open their doors to those who may be displaced by Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit). CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop Socrates Villegas, in a statement, also voiced concern about forecasts that Ruby could hit the same areas devastated by super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) last year. “I appeal to our Catholic churches and schools to open their doors to refugees and those badly in need of shelter, particularly those already displaced by Yolanda,” he said. Yolanda had left more than 6,300 dead after ripping through the Visayas. But Villegas also reminded the evacuees who are allowed shelter in churches to respect the sacredness of the place. “I request only that evacuees remember the sacred character of the churches they occupy, should they do so,” he said. Villegas also called for prayers from all Filipinos, especially those far from the danger zone. Evacuations Meanwhile, he pleaded with government officials and non-government organizations to commence evacuation Read More …

Schools, offices shut as Typhoon Ruby bears down on PHL

 News
Dec 032014
 
Schools, offices shut as Typhoon Ruby bears down on PHL

PHL braces for Typhoon Hagupit . A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) image taken by MTSAT-2 at 0530Z on Tuesday, December 2, shows Typhoon Hagupit moving west at 20 mph southwest of the eastern Caroline Islands in the western Pacific Ocean while strengthening to Super Typhoon status forecast later this week. Survivors of super typhoon Yolanda that killed thousands in the central Philippines last year are preparing for the powerful new storm, as authorities scrambled to find safe evacuation centers. Hagupit is building strength in the Pacific Ocean as it moves toward PHL where farming and fishing communities have yet to recover from the previous devastation. AFP/NOAA Schools and government offices were shut in parts of the central Philippines on Thursday and residents stocked up on supplies and food, as provinces yet to recover from last year’s devastating super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) braced for another category 5 storm. Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) was churning across the Pacific around 860 km (585 miles) east of the island nation on Thursday, the local weather bureau said, packing winds of up to 195 kph (120 mph) with gusts of up to 230 kph. It was expected to strengthen to a category 5 storm before slamming into Eastern Samar on Saturday, the weather bureau said. Eastern Samar and the island of Leyte were worst-hit in November last year by Yolanda, one of the strongest storms ever to make landfall. Yolanda left more than 7,000 dead or missing and more than 4 million homeless or Read More …

ASEAN prays for PHL as it braces for Ruby

 News
Dec 032014
 
ASEAN prays for PHL as it braces for Ruby

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Thursday offered prayers for the Philippines as it braces for Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit). In a post on its Twitter account, the 10-member ASEAN reiterated it is one ASEAN Community. “Our prayers are with the Philippines as the country braces for typhoon Ruby (Hagupit). We are one ASEAN Community,” it said.  The ASEAN’s other members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Papua New Guinea is an observer. Typhoon Ruby entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility at 3 a.m. Thursday. State weather agency PAGASA said one scenario involves Ruby making landfall in Eastern Visayas on Saturday. — Joel Locsin/VC, GMA News

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