THE TRANSPORTATION department said it will decide on unsolicited proposals to upgrade Metro Manila’s most congested elevated railway by next month, but added that there could be some overlap with current works to rehabilitate Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3).
ILOILO CITY — The business community welcomed a formal declaration by security forces that Iloilo province is “peaceful and ready for further development,” following an assessment that the communist insurgency has been contained and amid a lower crime rate.
DAVAO CITY — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Davao City office is partnering with the Knights of Online Marketers, Inc., a start-up information and communication technology firm, to tap into the growing demand for virtual office assistants.
A 22-YEAR-OLD lass was crowned as this year’s Bb. Igacos 2015 in ceremonies on March 6 at the Samal Multipurpose Gym in Barangay Penaplata. Bernadette Jade Borres Laniba, who represented Barangay Pe¤aplata, bested other 12 contestants in the beauty tilt. Born on October 29, 1993, Bernadette, fondly called as Badet by her family and friends, completed her degree in Accounting Technology at University of Mindanao-Tagum in April 2014. Badet, third of five siblings, is the doting daughter of Gavino, a retired encoder at Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative (Daneco) at Samal and Angela, a housewife. Badet works as a teller/encoder at Daneco Samal, replacing her father. Badet, who descibes herself as being simple, said that she is not a newbie anymore in joining beauty pageants. “Ilang beses na akong sumali sa mga beauty pageants, like Ms. SK 2010 sa Kaputian, ako ang nakakuha ng title. Yung Biyaneng sa Pe¤aplata, Mr. & Ms. BSBA UM 2010, Ms. LYR tapos eto Bb. Igacos,” she added. “Di ko lang masyadong dinamdam yung pressure kalmado lang ako sa Q & A. Siyempre mentally and emotionally prepared ka dapat.” When asked how it feels to be a beauty queen, Badet shared the positive and down side of it. “Masakit na nakaka-happy. Lalo na pag nagsusuot ka na ng high heels tapos di ako sanay, sobrang sakit sa paa, pero kailangan mo yung tiisin ’til matapos ang competition. Yung mga negative comments against me na kesyo di ko raw kaya, bakit daw ako ang napili. Pero Read More …
Widows of some of the commandos killed in the Mamasapano incident on Thursday openly called on President Benigno Aquino III to apologize for what befell their loved ones after they successfully neutralized a suspected terrorist in late January. Julie Cayang-o, widow of PO1 Gringo Cayang-o told GMA News Online on Thursday that the president should apologize for the incident. “Yes, he must do that! ‘Yung public apology nga ay hindi pa sapat para sa nangyari tapos napakahirap pa nilang sabihin ang totoo,” Cayang-o said in a text message. Marie Angeli, widow of PO3 Noel Golocan, on GMA News TV asked Aquino why it seemed difficult for him to say sorry for what happened in Mamasapano. “As wife of isa sa mga fallen 44, lumabas na po lahat ng investigations ng BOI and Senate, bakit hanggang ngayon hindi man lang kayo makapagsabi ng sorry?” she said. The widow of PO2 Mark Lory Clemencio said Aquino’s apology would only be useless. “There’s no point. If he does [it], it’s because he is pressured… It’s better [i]f people ask him to step down,” Kristine Clemencio told GMA News Online. The draft report of the Senate joint committee that looked into the Mamasapano incident found Aquino “ultimately responsible” for the tragedy. More than 60 people, including 44 commandos, were killed in Mamasapano. The policemen found themselves in firefights with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and its breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters after neutralizing Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan in alleged MILF territory on Read More …
Program continues to protect abused and abandoned children of today to protect future generations (photo screenshot courtesy of http://www.abs)cbnfoundation.org/ REDWOOD SHORES, CA – It was the tragic death of a young girl in the Philippines who was brutally beaten by her own mother in 1996 that sparked the idea of creating a helpline that will receive reports of cases of child abuse. By giving the public access to a 24-hour hotline, abuses committed against children are easily reported and verified. Thus, in 1997, ABS-CBN Foundation founder Gina Lopez started Bantay Bata 163 in Manila, Philippines as a local emergency go-to and rescue hotline operation. Eighteen years after, Bantay Bata 163 has expanded its regional branches to Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, Bicol, Negros Oriental, Iloilo, Pangasinan, Laguna and General Santos City. It has also expanded its reach through a variety of projects that include the Children’s Village, feeding program, prevention of child trafficking and student scholarship. Overseas, ABS-CBN Foundation International (AFI) kicked off recently the year-long 18th Year Anniversary Celebration of Bantay Bata at the famous Hollywood El Rey Theater in partnership with N91 Live through a fundraising concert attended not only by Filipino supporters but by mainly mainstream Americans. Under Managing Director Jo Ann Kyle, the appeal of Bantay Bata has reached a broader audience in the U.S. where AFI is based. The AFI Bantay Bata PSA “Fighting For Survival”, created by ABS-CBN TFC’s Pia Lopezbanos Carrion, Jeremiah Ysip, Eugene Libadia, Michael Angelo Carrion, Danny Manansala, Danie Sedilla-Cruz, and Paolo Ramos, Read More …
MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – The Philippine stock market bounced back today following the US Federal Reserves’ statement that it will go slow in adjusting interest rates. The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index rose by 0.75 percent or 57.97 points to 7,814.55, while the broader all-share index gained 0.41 percent or 18.59 points to 4,520.78. Trading volume reached a billion shares worth P9.16 billion ($204.26 million) with 96 stocks advancing, 92 declining, and 35 were unchanged. Two of the six counters bucked the trend. These were the industrial and the mining and oil sectors. “The PSEI rode on the region-wide cheer,” analyst Justino Calaycay of Accord Capital Equities Corp. said in his daily stock market comment. US stocks rallied over 1.2 percent last night following the Fed’s dropping of the word “patience” in its guidance language for interest rates. Instead, it avowed adjustments will “go slow” in consideration of further improvements in the macro economic data and of pushing inflation rates towards the 2 percent target. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Major European markets closed in the green albeit Germany, the region’s biggest economy and the regional benchmark, Stoxx 50, slipped. Asia was also covered in a sea of green with only the Nikkei 225 marginally in the red as the yen firmed. “With the Fed now out of the picture attention should squarely focus on domestic corporate earnings and Greece and Europe,” Calaycay said. The next “big” thing the market would be looking out for is Read More …
Toni Gonzaga (MNS Photo) Toni Gonzaga has replied to criticisms of her hosting during the Binibining Pilipinas coronation night last Sunday, pointing out that she was given instructions to lighten up the atmosphere of the three-hour-long pageant. The event, which was held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, was co-hosted by Xian Lim and past title winners Venus Raj, Shamcey Supsup, and Ariella Arida. At the start of a press conference held Tuesday for her new film “You’re My Boss,” Gonzaga thanked pageant organizer Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. for “giving me the opportunity to host a big event.” Addressing her critics, Gonzaga continued: “To those who were not pleased, sa mga hindi natuwa, hindi naibigan ‘yung napanood nila noong Sunday, I’m humbly asking for apology if I offended or I have maligned or I have hurt anyone of you, but it was never my intention.” Among the personalities who criticized Gonzaga’s hosting was Binibining Pilipinas-Universe 2000 Nina Alagao, who referred to the actress’ hosting as “over-confident almost to the point of arrogant.” The 2015 Binibining Pilipinas titlists pose after being crowned on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. The winners from left, are: 1st runner-up Hannah Ruth Lulu Sison, Miss Tourism Ann Lorraine Colis, Miss Intercontinental Christi Lynn McGarry, Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, Miss International Janicel Lubina and Miss Supranational Rogelie Catacutan. (MNS photo) Celebrity fashion designer Cary Santiago called Gonzaga’s comments “inappropriate,” adding that she was supposedly “rude to the candidates whose nerves are shot already.” Others expressed dismay Read More …
President Benigno S. Aquino III exchanges pleasantries with Princess Anne of Great Britain during the courtesy call at the Music Room of the Malacañan Palace on Tuesday (March 17). Her visit is in connection with her charity and various humanitarian works. Also in photo are British Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Anwar Ahmad and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Social Welfare and Development Undersecretary Mateo Montano. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Former President Fidel V. Ramos on Wednesday agreed with the findings of a Senate panel and the Philippine National Police Board of Inquiry (BOI) that President Benigno Aquino III is “ultimately” responsible for the bloody Mamasapano incident. In a press conference in his office in Makati City, Ramos said Aquino can be held administratively liable for the Mamasapano incident as he violated Executive Order 226 or the rule on “command responsibility” which the former President authored in 1995. “Any violation of this Executive Order by any government official, supervisor, officer of the PNP and that of any law enforcement agency shall be held administratively accountable for violation of existing laws, rules and regulations,” Ramos said, reading a portion of EO 226. “There is no escaping that in the Philippines, we have been practicing the doctrine of command responsibility ever since we have been established as a government,” Ramos added. Ramos said that EO 226 clearly covers the PNP, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) and all Read More …
President Benigno S. Aquino III exchanges pleasantries with Nidec Corporation founder, chairman, president and chief executive officer Shigenobu Nagamori during the courtesy call at the Music Room of the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday (March 18). Also in photo is Nidec Corp director and first vice president Toshihiko Miyabe. (MNS photo) MANILA, (Mabuhay) – Administration ally Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday urged President Benigno Aquino III and the Supreme Court to suspend the implementation of the K to 12 education program. “Nanawagan ako kay PNoy [at sa] Supreme Court para ipa-suspend ang K to 12 dahil hindi pa handa ang ang ating public education system at hindi talaga kaya ng mahihirap na magulang magpaaral pa ng dagdag na 2 years sa high school,” he said. He also supported the petition filed by the Coalition for K to 12 Suspension before the Supreme Court. Trillanes claimed he had visited several schools and found that teachers have been unprepared for the K to 12 program’s supposedly rushed curriculum. The senator has always been against the implementation of the K to 12 program, even saying that the government should address first the lack of classrooms and textbooks. Under Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, a student will be required to undergo kindergarten, six years of elementary, four years of junior high school and two years of senior high school. It will be rolled out in school year 2016-2017. On the other hand, data earlier provided by the Department Read More …