DAVAO CITY — Local government units in Mindanao must seize the opportunity and make their areas more business-friendly as the region draws potential investments with the election of the Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte to the presidency, a government official said.
The Electronic Filing and Payment System (eFPS) was developed to provide taxpayers with “top quality and convenient service through a much faster processing and immediate confirmation of filing of tax returns and payment of taxes due thereon.” The system allows the taxpayers to directly encode, submit their tax returns and pay their taxes online. Considering the convenience made by the eFPS, filing and payment can be done anytime and anywhere where Internet is accessible. In spite of such accessibility, taxpayers fall prey to the trifles of the due dates for filing and payment in case these falls on a holiday or on a weekend.
While it is still days before President-elect Rody Duterte will be sworn into office by months’ end as the country’s new president, lots of changes in the bureaucracy are now taking shape to stamp out pervasive corruption in government. Incoming Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said Duterte wants an assurance that food should always be available and affordable for every Filipino and to stop corruption in the DA. Piñol, in one of his many dialogues with farmers in Mindanao, assured the country’s farm workers that they will now get government support to help them improve their rice production. Among other issues that Piñol should look into are possible assistance to farmers regarding their expenses on their farm inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides as well as the need to modernize rice milling technology. With regards to the “frequent” importation of rice, Piñol disclosed that Duterte directed him to stop the practice of importing rice by the private sector and to stop rice smuggling at all cost. The public is fully aware about the rampant corruption within the DA regarding rice imported from Vietnam and Thailand. Piñol was told by his informants from the DA that agriculture officials were getting a $20 rebate for every metric ton of rice imported from Vietnam and Thailand. Now I know why DA officials appointed by President Benigno Aquino were hesitant to aid farmers improve their rice production because of the $20 rebate they get. Piñol said rice smuggling is being done by corrupt officials from Read More …
Los Angeles – The Philippine Consulate General, led by Consul General Leo M. Herrera-Lim in cooperation with the Philippine Department of Tourism in Los Angeles and Tourism Director, Mr. Richmond Jimenez, participated in the LA-ASEAN Fest 2016 held at the South Coast Mall in Costa Mesa, California on 04 June 2016. It was a unique and extraordinary ASEAN Community based event featuring various ASEAN cultures in Los Angeles. LA-ASEAN Fest 2016 is a five-hour event of fashion, music, trade and art show. Its goal is to unify the spirit of ASEAN Community in greater Los Angeles to showcase the creations of promising artist and performers. It was well participated by the ASEAN member nations, members of the media, bloggers and public elected officials. The event was held in South Coast Mall, an upscale-luxury goods shopping center in Costa Mesa, California in Orange County and the largest mall on the West Coast of the United States with an annual visitor count of 24 million. The Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Tourism-LA promoted Philippine tourist destinations. The Philippine booth drew many positive comments from the participants of the festival, as well as the shoppers of the Mall: – A Philippine born lady who has not been back to the Philippines for 29 years said, “I visited (with my non-Filipino spouse) last year and we were really amazed on the beauty of the Philippines. We are planning to visit the Philippines yearly basis; – A Vietnamese Refugee who lived in Bataan happily Read More …
(L-R) Ambassador (Ret.) John Maisto, US-Philippines Society President; Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.; Professor William Wise; and Ambassador Claro Cristobal after the FSI-SAIS MOU signing on 06 June 2016. WASHINGTON, D.C. – The first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Foreign Affairs – Foreign Service Institute (FSI) and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) was signed at a special SAIS Philippines Roundtable held at the Johns Hopkins University on 06 June 2016. The MOU recognizes the strategic importance of cooperation in the field of diplomacy and international relations and establishes institutional ties and meaningful collaboration between the FSI and SAIS. Such collaboration enhances institutional capability and competence in line with the mission of The Johns Hopkins University. “Our respective institutions are engaged in similar activities which include training young professionals to play leading roles in conducting the foreign relations of our two countries,” Professor Peter Lewis, SAIS Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, said in his remarks. “This type of training is vital in this fast moving, globalized and connected world but even more vital is the development of analytical skills and critical thinking which are the key elements in international relations and are essential tools for our students to succeed as diplomats, policy makers and leaders of NGOs,” Professor Lewis added. The Foreign Service Institute was represented by Ambassador Claro Cristobal who is the current Director General of FSI. “Diplomacy is of crucial importance. For a country so small, we’ve got to have people Read More …
President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomes Vietnam Ministry of Public Security Minister Sr. Lt. Gen. To Lam during the courtesy call at the Music Room of the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday (June 08).(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday said the Filipino nation must continue “along the road to a true and lasting peace” beyond his term as his eyed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) failed to pass during his administration. During the launch of the book “Junctures,” a collection of speeches and statements on the Bangsamoro peace process from 2012 to 2016, Aquino said, “There is a lot more to come” for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) if the nation continues to take “the right path” to peace. “It is a path that has benefited those in the margins; and it is a path that heals the fractures within the country we share. And the message that we now send to our countrymen is: We must continue along this path,” Aquino told the audience, composed of peace advocates and members of the peace panel. Aquino said he is willing to help stakeholders in the peace process even as an ordinary citizen. “In 21 days, I will be stepping down from office, but to all of you in attendance today, and to each person of goodwill who wishes to fulfill the Promise of Mindanao, I will remain your friend and ally,” he said. The outgoing President says he remains “hopeful for fighting for the passage” Read More …
Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao (right) poses with the head of Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR) Setya Novanto during a courtesy call in Jakarta, Indonesia on Friday. Pacquiao earlier visited convicted Filipino drug mule Mary Jane Veloso at an Indonesian prison. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Boxing champ and Senator-elect Manny Pacquiao may head two committees when he assumes his Senate post in July. On Thursday, Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, the prospective majority leader, said Pacquiao will likely chair the Senate committee on games, amusement, and sports. But Pacquiao may also chair the committee on public works, which Pacquiao himself asked for. “Ang first pick ni Senator Pacquiao nung nag-uusap na kami nitong nakaraang araw ay public works,” said Sotto. Pacquiao, who was criticized for his frequent absences in the House of Representatives when he was Sarangani representative, had earlier said he would aim to have a perfect attendance in the Senate. Committee chairmanships Committee chairmanships are vital as bills have to go through committees first before they are tackled in plenary. If a bill is not passed at the committee level, it has no hope of becoming a law. With the Senate presidency practically in the bag for Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, a party-mate of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, the large group of senators supporting him have now begun to discuss how to divide among themselves the chairmanships of the chamber’s powerful committees. Sotto said the Senate will carefully scrutinize pending bills even though they are open to Read More …
Vice President-elect Leni Robredo greets supporters at a thanksgiving mass at St. Peters Church in Quezon City. Robredo and President-elect Rodrigo Duterte were proclaimed winners of the 2016 national election by the joint session of Congress at the House of Representatives on Monday. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The camps of incoming vice-president Leni Robredo and outgoing vice-president Jejomar Binay have finalized the transition process for the Office of the Vice President. Benjamin Martinez, chief of staff of Vice President Jejomar Binay, officially turned over to the transition team of Vice President-elect Leni Robredo the transition report of the OVP. The two teams met for close to two hours, discussing the staffing, budget and other operational matters concerning the OVP. Based on the records, the OVP still has P422 million left out of the P500 million budget of the OVP for 2016. Foremost on the agenda was whether or not Robredo will hold office at the Coconut Palace. The palace is being rented at P484,000 every month, which Robredo finds too expensive. The transition teams also inspected the OVP office housed at the PNB Building. The OVP started renting the 7th floor of the PNB Building in 2008. Around 75 employees from the administrative, human resource and finance divisions are housed in the building. The personnel who just live near the area expressed concern about moving the office to another location, given Robredo’s previous pronouncements that she is looking for ways to lower the rental and maintenance expenses of the Read More …
Former Foreign Affairs Secretary and First Lady Hillary Clinton is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States. WASHINGTON (PNA/PTI) – Hillary Clinton today claimed the Democratic presidential nomination after decisive victories in the New Jersey and New Mexico primaries, creating history by becoming the first woman to lead a major American political party in the race to the White House. “Thanks to you, we’ve reached a milestone, the first time in our nation’s history that a woman will be a major party’s nominee,” Clinton, 68, told her supporters at her campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. US President Barack Obama congratulated Clinton for securing the 2,383 delegates necessary to clinch the Democratic party’s presidential nominee. However, Obama did not formally endorse Clinton his former Secretary of State. “Her historic campaign inspired millions and is an extension of her lifelong fight for middle-class families and children,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement. Obama called both Clinton and her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders to applaud them for “running inspiring campaigns that energized Democrats.” The President will meet Sanders at the White House tomorrow at the Vermont senator’s request, the statement said. In the November presidential elections, Clinton would face fellow New Yorker Donald Trump, from the Republican party, whom she said is not fit to lead the country. If elected in the November general elections, she would be the first ever woman president of the US. “To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you Read More …
Kaye Abad (MNS Photo) Now that she is engaged to boyfriend Paul Jake Castillo, Kaye Abad gamely revealed that she was the one who broke the hearts of her two exes. “May isang ako ‘yung nasaktan; dalawa ‘yung ako ang nakasakit,” Abad said without identifying her two former boyfriends. Before Castillo, Abad was in a relationship with Parokya Ni Edgar frontman Chito Miranda, who is now married to actress Neri Naig. Abad also dated Guji Lorenzana, who got married just this year. Years ago, Abad once dated “Tabing Ilog” co-star John Lloyd Cruz. “Ang hirap, ang hirap-hirap kapag ikaw ‘yung nakakakasakit. Parang feeling mo ang sama-sama mong tao,” she admitted. “Pero siyempre, sabi nga ng kaibigan ko, hindi pa nila maiintindihan ‘yan ngayon na para din naman sa kanya ‘yang desisyon mo, na mas makakabuti talaga kung hindi na. So I think okay na silang dalawa ngayon—may asawa na sila, masaya na silang dalawa.” But Abad said she has no regrets about her past relationships. “Feeling ko mas makakabuti talaga para sa amin,” she said. Abad said one of the lessons she learned about relationships is that both parties have to be open to each other. “Dati kasi nung bata ako mahigpit ako, selosa ako, tapos kapag may party siya, ‘di ko papayagan. ‘Yun ‘yung natutunan ko—plus sa mga friends din—na kahit na paghigpitan mo, kung gusto niya ay gagawa at gagawa ng paraan, maitatago at maitatago niya,” she said. “So ako natutunan ko na maging open na sabihin mo Read More …