Pope Francis’ arrival in Sri Lanka in photos

 News
Jan 132015
 
Pope Francis’ arrival in Sri Lanka in photos

COLOMBO — Pope Francis has arrived safely in Sri Lanka for the first leg of a weeklong trip to Asia that will also include the Philippines. Take a look at the photos of his arrival in Colombo: Pope Francis waves to people waiting on a road to welcome him on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015. Pope Francis arrived in Sri Lanka Tuesday at the start of a weeklong Asian tour saying the island nation can’t fully heal from a quarter-century of ethnic civil war without pursuing truth for the injustices committed. AP A Sri Lankan Catholic holds a portrait of Pope Francis and awaits his arrival, on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015. Less than a week after its longtime president was surprisingly voted out of office, Sri Lanka welcomes Pope Francis on Tuesday, with the island nation’s Catholic minority hoping he can help heal the lingering wounds of the country’s 25-year civil war. Catholics make up slightly more than 6 percent of Sri Lanka’s population of 21 million, according to the government. AP Pope Francis walks down an airstair upon arrival in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015. Pope Francis has arrived safely in Sri Lanka for the first leg of a weeklong trip to Asia, received at the airport by newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena and Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith. AP Pope Francis walks upon arrival as colorful Sri Lankan dancers perform in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Jan. 13, Read More …

Freezing Americans urged to visit PH

 General
Jan 132015
 
Freezing Americans urged to visit PH

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. waves from a double decker bus of City Sightswrapped inPhilippine tourism promotion ads at the Union Station in Washington, DC. (PHILIPPINE EMBASSY PHOTO/MAJALYA FERNANDO) WASHINGTON, DC — In light of the subfreezing temperatures and arctic blasts in large parts of the United States, the Department of Tourism is enticing Americans in major East Coast cities to make a tropical getaway to the Philippines. For the past several weeks, double decker hop-on-hop-off tour buses with wrap-around photographs of popular tourist destinations in the Philippines such as Bohol, Boracay and Camarines Sur could be seen cruising Washington, DC, New York, Philadelphia and Miami. The Philippine Embassy said the campaign is part of the tourism department’s efforts to promote 2015 as “Visit the Philipines Year.” “This harsh weather presents the perfect opportunity for Americans to travel to the Philippines and experience the beauty and warmth the country has to offer,” according to Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. “Our American friends will also find it easier to head off to Manila when Philippine Airlines starts its regular flights from New York in March,” he added. Cuisia said the bus wraps that showcase warm Philippine beaches will definitely catch the attention of Americans who are experiencing one of the coldest winters in recent history. Josh Levee, General Manager of City Sights, the bus tour company carrying the Philippine tourism ads agrees. “In this weather, it is definitely enticing. I want to go!” he said. Vector Media’s Jordan Perlmutter said tens of Read More …

How to Get a Driver’s License in the Philippines

 General
Jan 122015
 
How to Get a Driver’s License in the Philippines

There’s this indescribable mix of excitement and anxiety for first-time drivers and first-time car owners. But to take things on a legal point, you definitely need a driver’s license before you bring your wheels on the major roads. Spare yourself from spending your first thousand of pesos to the MMDA for driving without license. The Land Transportation Office (LTO), under the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), is responsible in drivers licensing and motor vehicle registrations. According to the Official Gazette (gov.ph), a driver’s license is “an official document authorizing an individual to drive a motorized vehicle in the Philippines. LTO has three classifications of drivers licensing: student permit, non-professional driver’s license, and professional driver’s license. Before going to any branch, you have to decide what kind of license you will get. As the name implies, a Professional Driver’s License entitles you to drive a vehicle for a living. Apply for Professional license if you will drive any public utility vehicles (PUVs) such as jeepneys, tricycles, taxi, etc. On the other hand, a Non-Professional Driver’s License allows you to drive private vehicles. In both licenses, a prerequisite is a valid student’s permit, which is “an official document authorizing a person to operate a motorized vehicle in the presence of a duly licensed driver.”  Eligibility for Drivers Licensing: You must be at least seventeen (17) years old. You must be physically and mentally fit to operate a motor vehicle. You must not be a drug user or alcoholic. You must be able to read and Read More …

Watch: Commuters stranded as authorities conduct papal arrival dry run

 News
Jan 122015
 
Watch: Commuters stranded as authorities conduct papal arrival dry run

Dry run for Pope Francis arrival starts. One of three Popemobiles for the five-day visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines arrives at Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on Monday, January 12, for simulation and dry run. The Pope will be in the country from January 15 to 19, a trip that will be highlighted by visits to disaster-hit Tacloban City and Palo town in Leyte. Danny Pata Some passengers along a portion of Manila’s Taft Avenue were stranded Monday evening while authorities simulated Pope Francis’ Jan. 15 arrival. A Vine video tweeted by radio dzBB’s Manny Vargas showed people waiting for a ride at Taft Avenue near the Apostolic Nunciature. The video showed many people choosing to walk while police deployed along the expected papal convoy route.   Police asked the public in the area for understanding, saying it was a dry run to ensure the Pope’s safety when he arrives Jan. 15.  The area was reopened to traffic at about 7 p.m. Earlier, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said the roads in the path from Villamor Air Base to the Nunciature – where the pope will stay during his visit – would be closed 5 p.m. in time for the dry run at 6 p.m. Another video Vargas posted showed police personnel along Andrews Avenue and Roxas Boulevard during the dry run. — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News

How to handle skin asthma

 Entertainment
Jan 122015
 
How to handle skin asthma

Mrs. Rodriguez brought his son Jordan to my clinic because of recurrent itching.  He was five when I first saw him.  His face, especially the areas around his eyes, was red, scaly, and dry; his neck was thick and extremely rough and scaly with a lot of scratch marks on it.  The areas in front of his elbows and the back of his knees where also thickened with linear lines and excoriations (tiny spots of removed skin, sometimes with bleeding). The poor kid was scratching incessantly and appeared tired and sleepy.  He was irritable, too.  Mrs. Rodriguez was complaining that she had sleepless nights trying to comfort Jordan and that she had been to several doctors, but Jordan’s problem remained unabated and seemed to be worsening with time. Jordan’s problem is skin asthma, known in medical terms as atopic dermatitis or eczema.  It is a relapsing skin condition that causes inflammation, redness, and itchy rashes.  The bad thing is that there is no known single cause for atopic dermatitis.  It is a largely genetic skin disorder characterized by an inherited barrier defect (a defect in the skin’s protective covering function).  This barrier failure causes increased permeability of the skin and reduces its antimicrobial function.  A loss in this protective covering factor results in flattening of the skin’s surface, disruption of the skin’s lipid organization, and reduction of moisturizing factors.  This leads to an increase in the skin’s acidity, which encourages certain enzymes to digest the lipids and proteins that hold Read More …

Fashion Police at Golden Globe red carpet

 Entertainment
Jan 122015
 
Fashion Police at Golden Globe red carpet

MANILA, Philippines – Fans are getting a fresh new look at the star-studded panelists ready to speak the truth about your favorite stars’ looks. In the first official cast photo just released, Kelly Osbourne and Giuliana Rancic join newcomers Brad Goreski and Kathy Griffin for a picture that showcases their great fashion sense as well as their unique personalities. “Kathy just feels right, and Brad brings a fun, new voice to join Giuliana and Kelly in this ensemble,” executive producer Melissa Rivers recently shared with fans. Join the all-new Fashion Police when it returns tonight at 9 on E. E! Channel airs on Channel 57 for Sky Cable and Destiny Digital, Channel 25 for Cignal and Channel 33 on Cable Link.

Pope's trip to Sri Lanka, PHL to address poverty, dialogue, climate change

 News
Jan 122015
 
Pope's trip to Sri Lanka, PHL to address poverty, dialogue, climate change

COLOMBO/VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis returns to Asia for the second time in less than six months, travelling to Sri Lanka and the Philippines in coming days to underscore his concern for inter-religious dialogue, poverty and the environment. Security will be a main issue in both countries, particularly in the Philippines, Asia’s only majority Catholic country, where up to six million people are expected to attend an outdoor Mass on Jan. 18. Up to 40,000 police, troops and reservists will take part in what military chief General Gregorio Catapang has called the country’s biggest ever security operation. “There will be soldiers rappelling up and down helicopters to rescue the pope in case he will be pinned down by a sea of people. We may airlift or use naval boats to bring the pope to safety if necessary,” he said. When Pope John Paul visited Manila in 1995, security perimeters were breached and he had to be taken by helicopter to a Mass site because his car could not get through a sea of some 5 million people. One theme of the Jan. 12-19 trip will be climate change. During his stay in the Philippines he will visit Tacloban, where Typhoon Haiyan killed 6,300 people in 2013. Sri Lanka is among the Asian countries experts say will see sea level rises likely to displace people and adversely affect tourism and fisheries. The Vatican says Francis, who is preparing an encyclical on the environment, will speak about the issue several times. While Read More …

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