Senate panels approve benefits for kin of retired, dead Sol-Gen officials

 News
Apr 022015
 
Senate panels approve benefits for kin of retired, dead Sol-Gen officials

Two Senate committees have approved the proposal to give monthly survivorship benefits to the spouse and children of deceased Office of the Solicitor General officials who has already retired or died while in active service. Senate Bill 2709, prepared by the committees on civil service and government reorganization, and finance, as per Committee Report 116, stated that among the officials that will be covered are Solicitor General, Assistant Solicitor General, Senior State Solicitor or State Solicitor. Under the bill, the surviving legitimate spouse or dependent children of said official shall be entitled to receive on a monthly basis all the retirement benefits that the deceased official was receiving or entitled to receive at the time of death under the provisions of the applicable retirement laws. A ‘dependent’ means a legitimate, illegitimate, or legally adopted child who is chiefly dependent with the deceased official, is not more 21 years old, unmarried and not gainfully employed, or if such dependent, regardless of age, is incapable of self-support because of mental or physical defect. It added that the surviving legitimate spouse or dependent child shall continue to receive such retirement benefits during one’s lifetime or until the surviving legitimate spouse remarries or the dependent child marries. It further said that if the surviving legitimate spouse is receiving benefits under existing retirement laws, the surviving legitimate spouse or dependent child shall only be entitled to the difference between the amount provided for in the proposed law and the benefits they are already receiving. The Read More …

Come home on Friday: DILG asks Pinoys to rethink travel plans as Chedeng threatens

 News
Apr 022015
 
Come home on Friday: DILG asks Pinoys to rethink travel plans as Chedeng threatens

The Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas encouraged those who are going out of town to reconsider their travel plans, especially if their destination is one if the areas that will be  affected by Typhoon Chedeng during the long weekend. “Please adjust your travel plans… Tatama siya sa may Isabela-Aurora-Northern Quezon areas anytime between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Mag-ingat po tayo,” he said. The DILG secretary also urged those who are already in these areas to return home by Friday before Chedeng is expected to make its landfall. According to PAGASA’s 11 a.m. weather bulletin, the typhoon is estimated to make landfall over eastern coast of Aurora or Isabela by late Saturday to early Sunday. “We can’t afford to risk the safety of the residents and an estimated 10,000 tourists in the various towns on the Eastern seaboard,” Roxas said. The DILG has already alerted the different government agencies to relay pertinent information, offer assistance to stranded travelers, as well as to ensure the safety of all people in the identified areas. “Listo lang po lagi tayo, and should you need any assistance, the whole of government is at your service,” Roxas said. According to PAGASA’s latest update, Typhoon Chedeng was located 930km East of Catarman, Northern Samar or 975 km East Southeast of Virac Radar Catanduanes as of 3 p.m. It has a maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 210 kph. It is also expected to bring Read More …

Jeremy Renner, estranged wife, settle custody dispute

 General
Apr 012015
 
Jeremy Renner, estranged wife, settle custody dispute

In this March 1, 2014 file photo, Jeremy Renner arrives at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards, in Santa Monica, Calif. Attorneys for Renner and his estranged wife, model Sonni Pacheco, told a Los Angeles judge on Wednesday, April 1, 2015, that the pair had settled a custody dispute over their 2-year-old daughter. Pacheco filed for divorce from the two-time Academy Award nominee in December, less than a year after their wedding. AP File/Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision LOS ANGELES — Oscar-nominated actor Jeremy Renner will share joint custody of his 2-year-old daughter with his estranged wife after the pair reached a custody agreement after a day of negotiations on Wednesday. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Whitaker approved the settlement, which calls for Renner to pay his wife $13,000 a month in child support. Sonni Pacheco, a model, filed for divorce from Renner in early December, less than a year after the pair had a secret wedding. A hearing had been scheduled for Thursday in the pair’s custody dispute. Both sides had each raised issues with the other’s parenting of their daughter. As part of the agreement, Renner and Pacheco agreed not to make disparaging remarks about their former partner in front of their daughter and will fashion a parenting plan along with a therapist. The settlement also lays out how Renner can make up time with his daughter when he is out of Los Angeles on film shoots. Renner, 44, hugged his attorney Laura Wasser after the settlement was Read More …

Garage sale costs Korean P4M

 News
Apr 012015
 
Garage sale costs Korean P4M

LTO: 80% of motorists heeded ‘no registration, no travel’ rule Google, Microsoft battle drives down prices for PCs, tablets PNP taps Neil Perez, mascot to promote public safety during Holy Week LTO no travel policy ‘un-Christian’ — MMDA chair A speech that will be ‘remembered for a long, long time’ Biz Buzz: Powerful ‘Superfriend’ An OFW’s dreams soar: She wants to scale the Himalayas Rey Pamaran to Robin Padilla: ‘Your intentions are good but…’ INQUIRER.net PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—A Korean woman who held a garage sale in her house in Quezon City said she lost several pieces of jewelry and P4 million in cash to a thief who pretended to be a customer. In a complaint filed with the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) on Tuesday, Go Min-kyung, 47, accused a man she identified only as “Mr. Kim” of taking her backpack which contained several pieces of jewelry and P4 million in cash on Monday. According to the report on the incident prepared by Chief Insp. Rodelio Marcelo of the QCPD-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, Go was holding a garage sale in her house on Scout Limbaga, Barangay Sacred Heart, as she was moving out soon. Around 9 p.m., a curly-haired, bespectacled man who seemed to be in his early 20s walked in, introduced himself as Mr. Kim and started looking at the furniture for sale. He left in a hurry a few minutes later and Go said she closed down for the day afterward. She discovered the theft at 11:30 Read More …

Crash victim’s kin to get aid

 General
Apr 012015
 
Crash victim’s kin to get aid

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will extend financial support to the beneficiaries of overseas Filipino worker Vilma Mamuri Gumpal, who died in a plane crash in Sadbury, Ontario, Canada, last month. “Financial assistance will be given to the legal beneficiaries of Gumpal,” said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz in a statement. The OWWA will facilitate the release of her death benefit in the amount of P200,000, burial assistance of P20,000, and educational benefits for dependents. The OWWA will also provide repatriation assistance, specifically in the release of her remains on arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport,” Baldoz said. Gumpal, 42, single, was from Echague, Isabela, and had worked as a caregiver in Canada since June 2012, according to OWWA records. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said Gumpal also worked as a caregiver in Israel in 2003. Labor Attaché Leonida Romulo of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Toronto said Gumpal was with her lawyer-employer and his wife on board a small plane on March 17 when it   crashed in a remote heavily wooded area near the mouth of the Pickerel and French Rivers in Sudbury, Ontario. Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of INQUIRER.net. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards. To subscribe to the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper in the Philippines, call +63 2 896-6000 for Metro Manila Read More …

Mix it right with Vita Prep 3

 Entertainment
Apr 012015
 
Mix it right with Vita Prep 3

Vitamix Vita-Prep 3 efficiently process fruits and veggies into healthy drinks. MANILA, Philippines – Vitamix’s Vita-Prep 3 can do the job of a food processor and whip up delicious handcrafted drinks. In the Philippines, Vita-Prep 3 and other Vitamix blenders are distributed by Technolux, a distributor of a complete line of equipment with over a hundred brands under its four main product categories: foodservice equipment, smallwares, laundry, and ingredients and consumables. Vita-Prep 3 can be used in different ways, from crushing the toughest whole foods into a smooth puree, to chopping delicate ingredients to a perfect texture. Its patented, high-impact container and powerful motor is capable of perfectly chopping, grinding, and blending any kind of food. It likewise answers the needs of the health-conscious set that rely on efficient blenders to process fruits and vegetables.  When used to blend and puree, the water content and the food do not separate.  The result is a smooth, rich and delicious texture  that is a delight to take with every gulp. Meanwhile, an advanced cooling fan resists overheating thus enabling the product to continuously run smoothly even when service is busy. Vitamix’s Vita-Prep 3 is backed by a component warranty that covers additional parts like blade assembly and container. Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: Technolux Bldg. is located at 2176 Primo Rivera St., barangay La Paz, Makati City. For information, call 896-4941 or 8994531  or visit www.technolux.net.

DOTC bids out contract for rail grinding machine

 General
Apr 012015
 
DOTC bids out contract for rail grinding machine

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has earmarked P193 million for the acquisition of a rail grinding machine for the ageing Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3). In an invitation to bid, the DOTC-MRT3 announced the procurement of supply and delivery of one rail-borne rail grinding machine through a competitive bidding using the non-discretionary pass/fail criteria under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act. To qualify, the agency said bidders should have completed a similar single contract within the last 10 years with a value equivalent to at least 50 percent of the approved budget for the contract of the new project. It added that the bidding is restricted to Filipinos or companies with at least 60 percent interest belonging to Filipino citizens. Interested bidders have until May 6 to submit their bids. The DOTC-MRT3 also invited companies to a pre-bid conference on April 22. The DOTC expects the delivery of additional brand new steel rails in June as the replacement of old rail tracks of the ageing mass transit system as early as February. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The DOTC is scheduled to receive 7,296 meters of brand new steel rails in June to be used for further rail replacement works later this year. Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya earlier said the replacement of old rails would minimize glitches that affected the country’s most utilized railway system along EDSA. The agency has awarded a P61.5 million contract to Read More …

Be a blessing to others

 Economy
Apr 012015
 
Be a blessing to others

Alice Eduardo of Sta. Elena Corp. guided and mentored Marivic Quiero in her new business. In the past few weeks that we had been busy preparing for the March Filipina Entrepreneurship Summit and dinner-forum, we didn’t realize that we are already welcoming the month of April.  It feels like it was only a few weeks ago when we were looking forward to the year of 2015 and now we are on the 4th month already.  We start this month at the height of the Holy Week. Today is Maundy Thursday, and we all reflect on what the Holy Week means for all Catholics. Coming from a Catholic family where my mother always reminded us of our spiritual duties, I am deeply aware of the value of this season for us. Every year, we make sure to do the Stations of the Cross and attend recollections as we try our best to internalize the Grace given to us and how our Christ had to suffer and die so that we may live and have eternal life after. This tradition is, in way, a regular part of our Holy Week which we wish to teach our children and the next generation.  From all the day-to-day pressures in our business and work-life, it is always a challenge to develop our spiritual life. But that is a challenge we just have to overcome.  Reflections must actually be done at all possible time, at the least a few minutes a day. A daily dose of teachings, with Read More …

Wrong timing for ‘no plate, no travel’ policy

 Economy
Apr 012015
 
Wrong timing for ‘no plate, no travel’ policy

The timing of the DOTC/LTO’s “no plate, no travel policy” couldn’t have been worse – on April 1st in fact – reinforcing perceptions that fools must be running the Transportation department. Only heaven knows why the bright boys at DOTC decided to implement the policy at a time when people need their cars to travel for the Holy Week and go home to their provinces or other destinations outside of the metropolis.  Everyone knows it took the LTO so many years to come up with a new design for license plates and even then, the backlog continues not only in the issuance of new license plates, but even registration stickers. This really “smart move” puts the burden on vehicle owners especially the new ones who now find themselves taking, a “staycation” instead of the five-day vacation that they have been anticipating. Per LTO directive, those who are not able to show registration papers or documents to prove that they are undergoing the seven-day registration process would be fined P10,000. On the other hand, those who drive unregistered vehicles would be made to pay P1,000. Even if owners have registration papers, it’s still a lot of hassle to be pulled over by LTO agents or deputized enforcers, a number of whom are still afflicted with the “kotong” mentality. As usual, we hear a lot of finger pointing and blame shifting, with the LTO claiming that the culprits are Metro Manila car dealers who either allegedly hoard applications before submitting them in Read More …

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