War vs Reds ‘over’

 Entertainment
Jul 282016
 
War vs Reds ‘over’

Duterte declares ceasefire with CPP-NPA President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who recently declared unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels, is welcomed by officers of the Western Mindanao Command during his arrival at Edwin Andrews Airbase in Zamboanga City on July 21.(MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday declared a unilateral ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF). Duterte made the announcement before a joint session of Congress during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA). “I am announcing a unilateral ceasefire with the CPP-NPA-NDF effective immediately,” he said. He added: “I expect and call on our fellow Filipinos in the National Democratic Front and its forces to respond accordingly.” Duterte also vowed to work for a “permanent and lasting peace” before he ends his term in 2022. “That is my goal, that is my dream,” he said. The Armed Forces of the Philippines expressed support to Duterte’s declaration of peace. “The Commander in Chief has initiated a very bold move and we fully support him in his effort to bring sustainable and lasting peace to our whole country,” military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said. Padilla said that the AFP will “abide by the Commander-in-Chief’s instruction.” He, however, clarified that troops will remain on “alert and vigilant and ready to defend itself and pursue attackers if confronted by armed elements of the NPA.” “The government has shown its sincerity and we expect no less from the other party,” he added. The Read More …

Poe to fast-track bill giving Duterte crisis powers to fix traffic

 Entertainment
Jul 282016
 
Poe to fast-track bill giving Duterte crisis powers to fix traffic

Senators’ photo gallery: Senate’s Public Relations and Information Bureau(PRIB) photographers display photographs of Senators at the Senate photo gallery in preparation for the opening of 17th Congress on Monday, July 25.(PNA photo by Avito C.Dalan) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday vowed to fast-track the passage of a measure that would grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to address the traffic problem in the country that she said has already “paralyzed our economy and our people.” Poe was elected Tuesday as chair of the Senate committee on public services. “A Senate bill for such emergency powers has been assigned to the public services committee that I will chair and the best course of action is to set it for public hearing as soon as possible so we can engage the Department of Transportation and all other stakeholders and experts to determine its necessity and if so the best terms under which such powers will have to be carried out to achieve its purpose,” Poe said in a statement. The senator was reacting to House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s bill or the “Traffic Crisis Act,” which seeks to grant emergency powers to Duterte for two years to do away with the mandatory bidding on procurement of transportation equipment and take over errant transport franchises to solve the traffic mess on roads and airports in Metro Manila and Cebu. The bill also proposes the creation of a “superbody” that would address the road and air traffic congestion in Metro Manila and Read More …

2016 Outlander Sport awarded Nempa Yankee Value Award for second consecutive year

 Entertainment
Jul 282016
 
2016 Outlander Sport awarded Nempa Yankee Value Award for second consecutive year

2016 Outlander Sport SEL CYPRESS, Calif  – Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) today announced the 2016 Outlander Sport has once again been recognized by the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) and awarded the Yankee Value Award for the second consecutive year. Outlander Sport was honored at NEMPA’s annual awards dinner in Cambridge, Mass. where the 2016 Winter Vehicle Awards were presented. “Outlander Sport continues to prove why it’s our sales leader,” said Don Swearingen, executive vice president and chief operating officer, MMNA. “Reliability, quality, competitive pricing and cost of ownership are at the core of Outlander Sport; to be recognized for providing exemplary value in such a competitive CUV segment proves Mitsubishi is providing consumers with what they not only want, but need.” The Yankee Value Award is presented to the vehicle that best exemplifies the hardy New England spirit of understated perseverance – and NEMPA takes its Yankee heritage seriously. To consider a vehicle for the Yankee Value Award the membership must be impressed with the vehicle as a “value proposition.” That rings true with the 2016 Outlander Sport, a vehicle that offers a variety or features and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty that continues to grab consumers attention in the competitive crossover segment. For more information on the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport visit media.mitsubishimotors.com

Scientist-developed compound brings hope of new epilepsy treatment

 Entertainment
Jul 282016
 
Scientist-developed compound brings hope of new epilepsy treatment

Researchers based in the USA have developed a compound that may prevent the development of epilepsy. After being tested on mice, the compound could soon be brought to human trials. The protective effect of this new compound was observed up to 100 days post-treatment.© diego_cervo/Istock.com Scientists from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center have developed a compound that blocks the hyper-excitability of neurons in epileptic mice. Until now, epilepsy drugs have targeted symptoms such as seizures, without halting the deterioration of dendritic spines, structures that allow brain cells to communicate. “In epilepsy, these structures are damaged and rewire incorrectly, creating brain circuits that are hyper-connected and prone to seizures, an important example of pathological plasticity,” the researchers explain. The protective effect of this new compound — which can notably prevent seizures — was observed up to 100 days post-treatment. This suggests that the development of epilepsy may have been halted. The compound was tested on mice and could soon be trialed on human patients. Epilepsy is a neurological condition which sees the normal pattern of brain activity become disturbed. It has a range of symptoms, including seizures, which can prevent sufferers from living normal lives. It can also cause strange sensations and behavior, such as olfactory or auditory hallucinations, loss of consciousness, muscle spasms, staring spells and more. The findings were published in the journal Nature. The study is available here: http://www.nature.com/articles/srep30298   if/hc/cb – Relaxnews

Rice program boosting DA budget to P71 B

 Economy
Jul 282016
 
Rice program boosting DA budget to P71 B

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is proposing a 31 percent increase in its 2017 budget with bulk of it set aside for the country’s rice production program. “The new budget request I submitted to the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) for 2017 is P71 billion,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said. For this year, the DA has an aggregate budget of P54 billion. Of the P71 billion, P31 billion will be allocated for the Rice Productivity Enhancement (RIPE) program in line with the goal of achieving 100 percent rice self-sufficiency for the country. “That already includes the first tranche of the three-year rice program. We will focus on rice production including seeds, inputs, new areas, irrigation projects and fertilizers,” he said. Piñol originally planned to reach 100 percent rice self-sufficiency in 2018 but moved it due to the availability of enough funds. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 “It was moved because there is no available fund right now. Secretary Diokno said that while there are funds left, we cannot use that because it has been allotted for prior projects,” Piñol said. “Now, I can lay the groundwork for the full implementation next year,” he added. Piñol said the DA would also need a P64 billion budget over the next three years to reach the goal by 2019. The agency is targeting to produce 18.5 million metric tons of rice next year; 20.3 million MT in 2018 and 21.6 million MT in 2019, reaching Read More …

‘Duterte magic’ charms Shell to push through with IPO

 Economy
Jul 282016
 
‘Duterte magic’ charms Shell to push through with IPO

In an interview, Pilipinas Shell country chairman Edgar Chua told The STAR the company could not have found  a better time to conduct its initial public offering (IPO) than now, when business optimism in the country is soaring. MANILA, Philippines – A combination of the previous administration’s hard work and the “Duterte magic” has done the trick for Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. to finally proceed with its long-delayed public listing, its top executive said. In an interview, Pilipinas Shell country chairman Edgar Chua told The STAR the company could not have found  a better time to conduct its initial public offering (IPO) than now, when business optimism in the country is soaring. “Business community is really very bullish about the new administration coming and building on the gains of the previous administration. Now is really a good time,” Chua said. “A successful IPO requires three things. One is that you have good financial results and two you have a good balance sheet. Those two have already been met. Three is that the market is quite good.  So I think the previous administration has contributed in making the market good and I think the Duterte administration is just building on the strength of the previous administration,” he added. Pilipinas Shell is embarking on what could be the country’s biggest IPO ever, planning to raise up to P29.7 billion through the offering of up to 330 million shares. Under the Oil Deregulation Act of 1998, the company should have listed at least Read More …

Government crackdown urged on substandard cement

 Economy
Jul 282016
 
Government crackdown urged on substandard cement

MANILA, Philippines – The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) is urging the government to immediately take actions on the growing presence of substandard cement in the country. CeMAP president Ernesto Ordoñez said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has yet to submit as promised an action plan to address cement cases “which have been threatening people’s lives for over 10 months now.” “I was hopeful that with the commitment of the DTI to submit an action plan that would stop the distribution of dangerous cement, long delayed measures would be finally put in place,” Ordoñez said. “However, weeks have passed since the July 8 deadline and still no submission. This shows a total disregard of the commitment DTI made at the Ombudsman’s office last June 29,” he added. Ordoñez said the Ombudsman arranged a meeting between the private and public sector last June 29 to address the local cement industry’s concerns. CeMAP last month expressed alarm over the rising cases of technical smuggling in the local cement industry which it said could easily escalate into something more dangerous if not addressed immediately. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Ordoñez reckoned that about 75 percent of the 161,000 metric tons (MT) of imported cement that went into the country in the first quarter of the year were technically smuggled. Last week, the National Consumer Affairs Council (NCAC) raised concern on the presence of contaminated cement in the local market. NCAC chairman Jose Paredes Pepito said Read More …

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