Maniolas

National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA Logo) Washington, D.C. “Yesterday’s announcement from the Department of Homeland Security that family members of Filipino World War II veterans can now apply for parole visas and reunite with their parents here in the United States, is very heartening,” says NaFFAA National Chair JT Mallonga. “Our courageous heroes, who have waited for up to 20 years, deserve the opportunity to be with their children. They must not suffer the pain of separation in the twilight of their years.” Last year, President Obama used his executive authority by establishing a parole visa program to reunite Filipino WW11 veterans with their loved ones. Long visa backlogs, which have separated family members for decades, prompted the President to order an interagency task force to look into this matter. But what spurred his action was a report issued by Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) calling on President Obama to grant parole for children of Filipino War World II veterans. The Department of Homeland Security, which will administer this program through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), finally issued policy guidelines spelling out in detail who is eligible to apply. DHS will start accepting applications in June. “We thank Sen. Mazie Hirono for pushing the Obama Administration to quickly implement this program and make children eligible for expedited consideration to come to the United States,” adds Mallonga. “We also appreciate the hard work of advocacy groups, like AAJC, the Filipino Veterans Equity Center (FVEC) and the Filipinos for Justice. Read More …

— Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (right) presses hands with admirers during his speaking engagement at the Unibersidad de Manila on Wednesday. Marcos is touring universities to talk about the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which his committee handles in the Senate. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – The camp of Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. must present election returns and hash codes to prove allegations that the results of the vice-presidential election are being rigged, an IT expert said Thursday. IT expert Lito Averia made the claim after the legal team of Senator Marcos said there were alleged irregularities in the quick count of the vice-presidential race. The Marcos camp said the poll irregularities started after a new script or computer command was introduced to the Commission of Elections transparency server during the quick count of the vice-presidential race. They alleged that the execution of the purported command resulted in the alteration of the “hash codes of the packet data”. Averia, an information technology expert from the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), explained a hash code serves as the unique “fingerprint” of every computer document. Data packets transmitted by VCMs to the Comelec are electronic files and would thus have individual hash codes. One may verify if a data packet was tampered with by running a program to regenerate its hash code. The hash code of the data should be identical before and after it was transmitted to Comelec servers. “Ang gagawin para maberipika mo iyung integridad ng kinuha mong Read More …

Pope Francis, wearing a yellow raincoat, waves to pilgrims after holding a mass at Tacloban’s airport on Saturday. An emotional Francis, wearing a plastic poncho over his vestments to protect him from the wind and rain, comforted survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda. (MNS photo) DAVAO  (Mabuhay) – Philippine president-elect Rodrigo Duterte is planning to visit the Vatican to make a personal apology to the pope for calling him a “son of a whore”, the politician’s spokesman said on Thursday. “The mayor repeatedly said he wants to visit the Vatican, win or lose, not only to pay homage to the pope but he really needs to explain to the pope and ask for forgiveness,” Peter Lavina told reporters in the southern city of Davao. Duterte, the longtime mayor of Davao, surged to a landslide election win on Monday following an incendiary campaign in which he gleefully used foul language to disrespect authority figures. In a rambling speech to announce his presidential run, Duterte lashed out at Pope Francis for causing traffic jams in Manila when he visited the mainly Catholic nation last year. “It took us five hours to get from the hotel to the airport. I asked who was coming. They said it was the pope. I wanted to call him: ‘Pope, son of a whore, go home. Don’t visit anymore’,” Duterte said. Catholic leaders in the Philippines condemned Duterte’s comments but, like many other controversial remarks, they had little impact on his popularity. Other campaign firebombs included saying he Read More …

Ritz Azul (MNS photo) Barely a month since she transferred to ABS-CBN, sexy star Ritz Azul has bagged a starring role in the upcoming series “The Promise Of Forever” with Paulo Avelino and Ejay Falcon. Azul, who was part of FHM Philippines’ list of the 100 Sexiest Women in the Country from 2013 to 2015, made her Kapamilya debut with a guest stint on the hit primetime series “Ang Probinsyano,” which is also under Dreamscape. “Siyempre feeling blessed ako kasi kakapasok ko lang as a Kapamilya nakasama na ako agad sa isang teleserye. So, nung sinabi naman sa akin ‘yong story talagang maganda at bago,” she said. “Isa itong oportunidad sa akin na mapakita ko naman sa ABS [CBN] na talagang karapat-dapat naman akong maging Kapamilya,” she added. She also revealed that some scenes will be shot in a cruise ship. “The Promise Of Forever” will be helmed by “Nathaniel” director Darnel Villaflor and award-winning independent filmmaker Hannah Espia of “Transit” fame. The directors said the story of “The Promise Of Forever” will try to prove love is “beyond forever.” “Hindi siya mabigat pero romantic,” Villaflor said. Further details about the series have yet to be announced. (MNS)

All-New 2017 turbocharged Hyundai Elantra has a 1.4-liter engine and 7-speed dual-clutch transmission to Maximize Efficiency and Performance FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif  – Hyundai Motor America today announced pricing for the all-new 2017 Elantra Eco, which comes well-equipped with a new fuel-efficient turbocharged powertrain, advanced safety features and user-friendly technology for $20,650. Assembled in Montgomery at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, the new Elantra Eco arrives in dealerships this month, joining the rest of the 2017 Hyundai Elantra trims including the value-packed SE and the premium-appointed Limited. “Now entering its sixth-generation, the Elantra model has always been synonymous with value in the highly competitive compact car segment,” said Mike Evanoff, manager, product planning, Hyundai Motor America. “With the new Elantra we not only focused key development objectives on performance, ride quality and efficiency, but committed ourselves to delivering a compelling value proposition at all price points. The Eco is an all-new trim for Elantra that offers consumers enhanced fuel efficiency with a 1.4-liter turbocharged and direct injected powertrain combined with standard high-demand features such as Blind Spot Detection and our 7-inch display audio system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support.” 2017 Hyundai Elantra Trim & Pricing Breakdown The 2017 Elantra is offered in three distinct trim levels to meet the needs of varying consumer preferences: SE: Well-equipped model with popular options and technology Eco: Fuel-efficient turbo model Limited: Premium model with leather, advanced safety technology and features A Sport model will appear later in the year and push the dynamics and fun-to-drive factor of Read More …