Maniolas

Fellow Senators Grace Poe Llamanzares and Francisco Escudero recently declared their intent to run for president and vice president, respectively. Escudero, in his announcement, stressed that ideal contenders for public office should only be beholden to the Filipino people. MANILA, Apr 14 (Mabuhay) – Vice presidential bet Francis “Chiz” Escudero laughed off on Thursday fresh reports of any infighting between him and presidential aspirant Grace Poe and her husband allegedly over campaign finances. “Not true. I haven’t asked for anything and GP (Poe’s initials) has been taking care of the campaign. Just helping out in whatever little way I can,” Escudero said in a text message. He issued the statement when sought to react on Ramon Tulfo’s column in Philippine Daily Inquirer this Thursday about that he was supposedly complaining that he and senatorial bets of Partido Galing at Puso were not getting their fair share of campaign contributions. “Kami na ang pinaka-close sa lahat ng magka-tandem. Napaka-dami na naming pinag-daanan. Hindi nila mababasag ang aming pagkakaibigan, samahan at tandem sa maliliit na intriga tulad nito,” Escudero said of Poe. (We are the closest among the tandems. We have gone through a lot. They cannot break our friendship, out alliance and our tandem over a rumor like this.) The column also mentioned about Poe’s husband, Neil Llamanzares, who is allegedly a “tightwad” when it comes to sharing the campaign budget with her running mate. Escudero also denied any conflict with Llamanzares. “Just saw him and was with him lang (just) Read More …

Cristine Reyes (MNS photo) MANILA, Apr 14 (Mabuhay) — Motherhood has helped Cristine Reyes improve as an actress. She admitted this during a press conference for her latest movie “Elemento”. “Malaking tulong ‘yung bahagi ng pagiging mother ko sa lahat ng projects na ginagawa ko ngayon. Unang-una, napu-portray ko na mas may sincerity ‘yung roles na ginagawa ko ngayon dahil mother roles na,” she said. Aside from “Elemento” where she plays a mother, Reyes also stars in the ABS-CBN series “Tubig at Langis” in another mother role. “Siguro nakita na rin nila ‘yung changes sa life ko. Siguro naisip din nila na ito na talaga ang roles na gusto kong i-portray. I guess, they saw me na I want to live my life, not just being the usual Cristine na doing daring roles. I guess nakita nila ‘yun. Okay naman siya,” she said. Has she totally turned her back on doing sexy roles? “Hindi ko alam kung tama ‘yung word na tatalikuran. Hindi naman ako nagpabaya ng katawan ko so I don’t want to say anything na tatalikuran. Kinu-consider ko si Ali (Khatibi, her husband). Kung noon wala akong iniisip at kumbaga, sarili ko lang ang iniisip, siyempre ngayon, kailangan kong i-consider ang asawa ko, ang daughter ko. Kasi whatever I do, it will also reflect on them,” she said. But Reyes is optimistic that people will still like her projects even if she’s now projecting a more wholesome image. “Para sa akin, siyempre dun dapat tayo sa tatangkilin ng Read More …

Asian Inc. tax preparer Crystal Huang helping a client prepare her 2015 tax returns. SACRAMENTO–The Golden State’s poverty statistics are grim: Two in five people live just over the federal poverty level (FPL), and the state has the highest child poverty rate in the nation. But this year, for the first time, California’s working poor will get to keep more of their earnings in their pockets thanks to the California Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). But people with low incomes – less than $13,870 a year – must be sure to file their taxes in order to get their money back. 600,000 Families Eligible Around 600,000 families in California are eligible for the state EITC. Some 12 percent are Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders, 30 percent are Latino, 12 percent are Black, and more than 15,000 individuals are Native American. The majority of those eligible are single women who are working part-time jobs. Signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown last year, the state’s EITC program is expected to cost the state $380 million. California is the 25th state, plus the District of Columbia, with such a program. The tax credit is modeled on the federal EITC program, which has been around since 1975. California Budget and Policy Center (CBPC) Communications Director Steven Bliss called the state program “an important tool for helping move the lowest earners toward economic security.” Some of those targeted for the program, he said, “have earnings so low that they may not even file state Read More …

President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomes Hon. Jesus Gracia, Secretary of State Latin America Affairs and International Development Cooperation and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez along with the Organizers and Officers of the Madrid Fusion 2016. Event organizers paid a courtesy call on President Aquino Wednesday in Malacañan Palace. (MNS photo) MANILA, Apr 13 (Mabuhay) — Presidential aspirant Grace Poe pinned the blame on the Aquino administration for neglecting its drive against illegal drugs and criminality. Poe also described the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), previously headed by her rival, administration bet Mar Roxas, as a “very weak” institution under this administration. “We all want swift justice–even I want swift justice–but we also have to have a credible system. Sabi nga, hindi karahsan kundi hustisya,” she said in an interview with bloggers and digital media on Wednesday. “Now, how can we have swift justice? I’m sorry to say, but this administration has really neglected our drive against drugs and crimes. The DILG has been a very weak institution with this administration. “We did not have the face of, let’s say, like a Ping Lacson, or a face of that time maybe of Mayor (Alfredo) Lim, or the face of an Erap Estrada; going back to the time of FVR (Former President Fidel V. Ramos), remember when he was there, who was the head of DILG? “So what I’m saying is if only the drive, and if only the people saw the effort of the government in really going after Read More …