Television broadcasting, which has been a primary source of entertainment and public information in the Philippines for decades, is making the move to digital. The country’s migration from analog television to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) was made possible when the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) finally released on Dec. 17, 2014 via Memorandum Circular No. 07-12-2014 the rules and regulations for DTT broadcast services.
It’s been awhile since this author last joined the studio tours at the famous Univeral Studios Hollywood. But as luck would have it, my son and his family asked me to join them at the theme park, along with a season pass on Mother’s Day. I wasn’t too surprised to see a lot of families doing the same thing on this special day. What amazed me were the awesome attractions added since we were last there sometime back. My grandson opted to stay behind with my son and not go through the Backlot Studio Tour as he knew he might get “devoured by the Raptors” during the tour. The tram ride offered something new, with TV talk show host, Jimmy Fallon welcoming all of us on an HD monitor and impressing us with his friendly narration, though there are still live tour guides who could be seen throughout the trams through video screens. We went through the theme park’s backlot where numerous films were made including Skull Island, used in the film “Jaws” and the “Collapsing Bridge” now used for the new King Kong 3-D attraction, to the “Parting of the Sea” scene used during filming of “The Ten Commnadments”, to the “Spanish” area where there’s sudden flash floods, to the ‘New York” facade street where gangster movies were filmed on Courthouse Square and to the European area where films such as “Casablanca” were shot. Further, we passed by various muscle cars used in the “Fast & Furious” movies and next, we were awed by the Read More …
Aegis PALA, CA – AEGIS, one of the Philippines’ top pop rock and pinoy rock groups, will perform in concert at 7 p.m., Saturday, September 19, in Club Infinity at Pala Casino Spa & Resort. AEGIS was formed in 1995 and has topped the Filipino charts with “Luha” (Tears), “Halik” (Kiss) and “Basang-basa sa Ulan” (Drenched in the Rain.” AEGIS 7 p.m., Saturday, September 19 Club Infinity Pala Casino Spa & Resort Tickets: $98, $78 Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m., Friday, May 15, with no service charge, at the Pala Box Office in the casino, or call 1-877-WIN PALA (1-877-946-7252). Tickets also are available at Star Tickets, 1-800-585-3737, or www.startickets.com. Pala is located in Northern San Diego County; from San Diego/Riverside, take I-15 to Highway 76 east five miles; from Los Angeles County and Orange County, take I-5 south to Highway 76 east, then travel 23 miles. Pala is 15 miles north of Escondido, 12 miles south of Temecula. Address: 11154 Highway 76, Pala, CA 92059 Telephone: 1-877-WIN-PALA (1-877-946-7252) Web site: http://www.palacasino.com Additional Shows Coming to Pala and the new Starlight Theater: Two of Southern California’s top tribute bands, Queen Nation, a tribute to Queen, and Zeppelin USA, a tribute to Led Zeppelin, will christen the new venue on opening night at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 23. Tickets are $12 in advance and $14 the day of the show. The schedule includes: Creedence Clearwater Revisited, a tribute to Creedence Clearwater, 8 p.m., Friday, May 29. Tickets, $50. $45, Read More …
MAKATI PARKING BUILDING PROBE: Senator Koko Pimentel(right), chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee investigating the alleged overpricing of the Makati Parking Building II, and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV (left) discuss the alleged irregular transactions reportedly entered into by the Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), more popularly known as Pag-IBIG Fund under the leadership of Vice President Jejomar Binay. During the hearing, Trillanes said Pag-IBIG granted “developmental loans” to four developers who were allegedly close to Binay. The Binay camp has denied the allegation. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Now the cat is out of the bag, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is almost certain that Vice President Jejomar Binay will back out from the presidential race in 2016. “Tapos na ang boksing. Kahit magaling sila magsinungaling, hindi na nila kayang lusutan ito (Game is over. Even if they’re good in lying, they can’t get out of this),” Trillanes said in a text message to reporters on Thursday. “Ngayon, kung umatras sya sa kanyang kandidatura, mas makakapamili ang mga Pilipino kung sino ang karapatdapat mamuno sa ating bansa na walang pangamba na maaring may mahalal muli na isang mandarambong (Now if he’s going to withdraw his candidacy, the Filipino people can choose who is the right leader for the country, without worries that the one who will be elected is a thief),” he said. The senator issued the statement after the media reported the purported report of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), which supposedly indicated that a a total of P11 Read More …
President Benigno S. Aquino III, assisted by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo, leads the bell ringing ceremony at the Philippine Stock Exchange trading floor in Ayala Avenue, Makati City on Tuesday (April 14). Also in photo are PSE chairman Jose Pardo; PSE director Eusebio Tanco; and BDO Unibank, Inc. chairperson Teresita Sy. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) on Wednesday morning handed over P36.36 billion worth of checks to President Benigno Aquino III during the annual ceremonial turnover of dividends. Forty-nine GOCCs participated in the ceremony held at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang. The Governance Commission on GOCCs (GCG) said “GOCC Day” is being celebrated yearly in “recognition of GOCCs’ achievements and their significant contributions to the country’s national development.” Last year’s remittances were up by more than P4 billion, from P32.31 billion in 2013 Out of all the GOCCs, the Landbank of the Philippines had the highest dividends at P6.254 billion. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), on the other hand, posted the largest amount of remittances (including dividends) at P10.137 billion. GOCCs are required by Republic Act no. 7656 to remit at least 50 percent of their income as dividends to the national government. Other remittances include proceeds of sale of assets and income from various fees. (MNS)
Senator Bong Revilla (center) consoles his son, Cavite Vice Governor Jolo Revilla, at the Asian Hospital on Tuesday. The elder Revilla was allowed by the court to visit his son who sustained a gunshot wound on Saturday. Also in the picture is Sen. Revilla’s wife, Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado (right).(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Four Cavite properties of detained Senator Ramon ”Bong” Revilla Jr. were garnished by the Sandiganbayan Sheriff in connection with his pork barrel scam cases. In a report by the court sheriff to the First Division, two properties in Tagaytay City and two more in Silang have been garnished. Two 125-square meter lots under the name “Bong Revilla married to Lani Mercado” were garnished in Tagaytay City. In Silang Cavite, two more lots measuring 10,191 square meters and 14,834 square meters under the name “Jose Marie Bautista married to Jesusa Victoria Hernandez” were also garnished. Other properties, which were not garnished because they were not ascertained to be owned by the Revillas, were also reported by the court sheriff. These properties include a 443-square meter house with a 13-square meter guard house in Bacoor, Cavite, a Fuso Jitney, and shares at The Riviera Golf Club. The anti-graft court earlier ordered the garnishment of P224.5 million worth of Revilla’s properties. The assets include multiple bank accounts, real properties, shares of stocks as well as vehicles. The writ prevents Revilla, his relatives, or his agents from selling, transferring, or disposing of the assets. The Sandiganbayan gets temporary custody of Read More …
The Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee, chaired by Sen. Koko Pimentel, resumes its inquiry on the alleged overpricing of the 11-storey new Makati City II Parking Building, the 22-storey Makati City Hall Building and related anomalies. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said Wednesday the freeze order issued by the Court of Appeals on the 242 bank accounts of Vice President Jejomar Binay, his relatives, and friends was a vindication of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee. “Klarong klaro na as a result yan ng Senate hearings or investigations,” Pimentel said. He said that aside from the freeze order, different government agencies have already acted on the information which came out during the hearings. “Si Antonio Tiu may tax evasion case sa BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), ang DAR (Department of Agrarian Reform) tinitignan na ang implementation ng land reform sa Rosario Batangas property, ang Ombudsman kinikilusan yung complaint for plunder, at ngayon na-trace na ang transactions. Marami nang bunga o resulta dahil sa hearing sa Senado,” he said. Tiu has been accused of being a dummy of Binay in the 350-hectare property also referred to as Hacienda Binay. The Senate blue ribbon subcommittee is investigating the alleged overpriced construction of the Makati City Hall Building II, Makati Science High School building, University of Makati College of Nursing building, other supposed Binay properties and alleged illegal transactions. Pimentel said the subcommittee has already submitted to the Ombudsman documents regarding the Makati City Hall Building II. “Nabigyan na namin ang Ombudsman, Read More …
The public will soon be getting an idea how much money Vice President Jejomar Binay and his family have in their multiple bank accounts. The Court of Appeals (CA) has recently frozen 242 bank accounts and insurance policies belonging to the Vice President and his family, including close associates suspected of being his dummies. Also covered by the freeze order were the bank accounts of businessman Gerry Limlingan. He is widely known as the alleged dummy and bagman of Vice President Binay when he was the mayor of Makati, as alleged by former Makati vice mayor Mercado. Binay’s lawyers however denied that the Vice President has 242 bank accounts and insurance policies. They are claiming that Binay has only five bank accounts under his name. The freeze order was issued by the First Division of the CA composed of Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr, and justices Edwin Sorongan and Ricardo Rosario. This is the first time that bank accounts of the Vice President of the Philippines were ordered to be frozen for alleged dishonesty. Binay has long been accused by his political opponents of having accumulated hundreds of millions of pesos acquired allegedly by illicit or improper means in his long years as mayor of Makati. It was the Anti Money Laundering Council (AMLC) that filed a petition to the CA to enable the council to scrutinize the bank accounts of the Binay family. The AMLC and the Office of the Ombudsman, in their petition to the court, want to Read More …
Ruffa Gutierrez says Finding Nemo is her favorite Disney movie.
The brave ones have found their smartphone and the sweet tooths their perfect snack.