Maniolas

President Benigno S. Aquino III signs into law Republic Act No. 10821, the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act during the Ceremonial Enactment at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday Witnessing the ceremony are Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. (May 18). (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III signed on Wednesday morning Republic Act (RA) 10821 or the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act which seeks to provide children with comprehensive relief and protection in the aftermath of disasters. The new law mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to formulate a Comprehensive Emergency Program for Children. “The program shall be used as the basis for handling disasters and other emergency situations to protect children, pregnany and lactating mothers, and support their immediate recovery,” it states. President Benigno S. Aquino III signs into law Republic Act No. 10821, the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act during the Ceremonial Enactment at the Rizal Ceremonial Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday Witnessing the ceremony are Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. (May 18). (MNS photo) Local government units are likewise mandated to integrate the said program in their development and Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (LDRRM) plans and budget. The program also assures the establishment of evacuation centers and transitional shelters for orphaned, separated, and unaccompanied children, and the immediate delivery of basic necessities and services. Aquino said that while all of these Read More …

Camarines Sur 3rd District Representative Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo delivers her acceptance message to be the official LP Vice Presidential Candidate for the 2016 National Elections during the “Daang Matuwid: To Be Continued…” of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) at the Corazon C. Aquino Kalayaan Hall of the Club Filipino in San Juan City on Monday (October 05). (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Amid the claim of Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that he will win the vice presidential race, leading VP contender and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo on Wednesday expressed fears of a repeat of the alleged cheating in the 1986 snap elections. In an interview with reporters in Naga City, Robredo spoke against Marcos’ supposed “mind-conditioning” technique, saying she wonders why the Marcos camp is claiming a lead of more than 100,000 votes based on their internal tally of certificates of canvass (COCs). “Sa akin lang ano, sana wala silang binabalak na pandaraya na gagawin sa canvassing. Kasi yung winoworry ko ngayon, klaro naman yung numero pero parang mina-mind condition nila,” Robredo said. “Kasi alam naman natin na may history na ganun. Hindi natin makakalimutan yung nangyari nung 1986 na siguro kung hindi nag walk out yung mga tabulators baka nadaya nga tayo,” she added. Robredo was referring to the so-called “Comelec 35” or 35 computer programmers and technicians who walked out during the tabulation of the snap elections between Marcos’ father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, and the late President Corazon Aquino. The protest was one Read More …

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte arrives to a cheering crowd for his campaign sortie in Tondo, Manila on Tuesday. Duterte kicked off his 90-day campaign addressing Tondo residents, mostly migrants from Visayas and Mindanao, with a promise of decentralizing development in the country.(MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Incoming president Rodrigo Duterte said he would be a “working president” who would pay no mind to criticisms against him. “I have been in politics for 23 years, I’ve learned to accept garbage and divine light from others. Para sa akin, I would just like to be a working president,” Duterte said. Asked on whether he would like to be loved or feared by people, Duterte, without hesitation, said, “I really do not care who hates me.” “Yung criticism, good or bad, true or not, is part of the territory of governance,” he said, even joking that in his years in politics, he was seldom portrayed in good light. “You know very well, that I’ve been in the government in the past 22 years, kailan pa ba ako nagmukhang anghel sa inyo?” Duterte said. However, Duterte, who ruled Davao City with an iron hand for years, said he would respect the opinions of those who are against him, even within the government. “I  may disagree [with] what you say but I will defend your right to say it. We are in a democracy,” he said. Meanwhile, he explained his somewhat uncouth manner of presenting himself in the public during the campaign period, saying Read More …

(Department of Agriculture logo) COTABATO CITY, May 19 (PNA) – Local officials in Maguindanao and North Cotabato have lauded the decision of incoming President Rody Duterte to name a farmer from Mindanao to head the Department of Agriculture (DA). Duterte has named former North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Pinol to head the DA with a marching orders that he will ensure affordable food for the Filipino people and that no corruption in DA. First to greet Pinol was his closest and longtime political rival in North Cotabato governorship, Emmlou Mendoza, who said Pinol was the right man for DA he being a true farmer. “The appointment of of Gov. Pinol to the agriculture department made me proud as Cotabatenia” Mendoza said in her FB post. Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Toto Mangudadatu also lauded Duterte’s decision to name a true-bloodied farmer in his incoming cabinet. “This is very positive for us Maguindanaoons. This will mean very close linkages between our farmers and the department to be managed soon by someone from a province close to us,” Mangudadatu said Thursday. Danda Juanday, Cotabato City administrator, said it would be easier for local officials to transact with the department with Piñol as the secretary because he knows the job well. Piñol said he would focus on vital programs needed to improve the productivity of farmers and bring local products to the world market, especially processed rubber and palm oil. “Our farmers are complaining of very low prices in both raw and processed rubber despite the Read More …

Anne Curtis (MNS photo) It seems Anne Curtis is not feeling pressured even though her closest friends Georgina Wilson, Isabelle Daza and Solenn Heussaff have either settled down or are already engaged. In a Twitter question and answer series, a netizen asked the “It’s Showtime” host when she is planning to get married. Responding to the query, Curtis said: “Not anytime soon. I just signed a 2 year contract haha” Curtis has been in a long-term relationship with restaurateur and food blogger Erwan Heussaff. In a previous interview with ABS-CBN News, Curtis said she sees herself walking down the aisle in two to three years. But for now, she is happy with her work. Aside from “It’s Showtime,” Curtis shared to her Twitter followers that she will also be shooting a movie in July. When asked by a netizen if this is the project which she will headline with Maja Salvador, Curtis said: “No. Hindi na muna.” (MNS)