WORRIES about the Philippines are “overdone,” with President Rodrigo R. Duterte expected to be good for the economy in the long run, according to emerging markets fund manager Mark Mobius.
Oct 112016
Oct 112016
AUTO sales in September contracted 3.1% month on month, automaker associations said, running counter to trend in recent years, hindered by an unusually strong performance in the base month of August.
Oct 112016
President Rodrigo Duterte discusses issues on the war on drugs and about human rights during the 48th anniversary of the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on September 13.(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened telecommunications companies to improve their services or face new competitors under his administration. In a speech at the National Banana Congress in Davao City on Friday, Duterte said he would have a one-hour morning television show devoted to receive public complaints on erring government officials and offices. “Now there is a Malacañang TV, PTV4, so may program ako dyan (I will have a program there), I’ll give about, every morning, one hour. Lahat ng Filipino na nakatikim ng (All the Filipinos who have experienced), whether it’s in the permit sa office of the mayor, or an electrical clearance or way of right already paid but unimplemented, itext mo na lang (just text me your experience). Your name, the government official, do not add your name,” he said. He said he would open a number where the public could text their complaints. “Ito ngayon I’ll open a number sa…Magcontribute si Pangilinan pati si Ayala ng numero ko, tutal they are… maraming pera sila dito sa. Wala kayong kumpetensiya. Magtext ako, maghintay ako ng reply. Matulog na muna ako kinabukasan ko pa mabasa,” he said. But the President told the two owner of the telecommunications firm to improve their service. “If you do not do it right, you wait, Read More …
Oct 112016
By AbnerGalino Ms. World Philippines 2016 First Princess(First Runner-Up Arienne L. Calingo Since becoming the Miss World Philippines 2016 First Princess (first runner-up), Arienne Louise Calingo has been juggling her commitments as a beauty queen, college lecturer, Education USA Ambassador for the American Embassy in Manila, brand ambassador for Colourette Cosmetics, and an advocate for education and diversity. In a recent phone interview shortly after being named the First Princess, the 24-year-old titleholder elaborated upon her advocacies and why the pageant means a lot to her. Aside from promoting the importance of education to Filipino youth, Arienne Louise hopes to create a more open conversation about issues of diversity.She believes that a woman’s beauty and intellect are not defined by her skin color. “As a proud morena woman, I seek to challenge the common notion that beauty is only associated with light, fair skin,” Arienne Louise explained. She takes pride in empowering and inspiring other morena Filipinas that they too can be competitive in national pageants. With a background as a Diversity Facilitator from the prestigious Georgetown University, Arienne Louise aims to organize “diversity training, discussions, and workshops at various schools across the country.” “I believe that it is time to speak about issues of diversity and change perceptions of beauty in order to promote more inclusivity, tolerance, and understanding in the Philippines,” she added. The Filipina beauty queen revealed that a series of conversations with Miss World Thailand 2014 Maeya Nonthawan Thongleng deeply inspired her. Arienne Louise had been Read More …
Oct 112016
By Josephine G. Aguillo Miss Universe Pia Alonzo-Wurtzbach visits the new Department of Tourism Office: Miss Universe Pia Alonzo-Wurtzbach receives a token of appreciation from Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo during the former’s visit at the new DOT Headquarters along Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. in Makati City on Monday (July 18, 2016). In a press conference after their meeting, Secretary Teo said she is grateful for the full support the reigning Miss Universe is giving to DOT’s efforts to host the upcoming Miss Universe contest in the country. “We are really hopeful that President Rodrigo R. Duterte will grant our request, especially now that this undertaking would practically entail no expense on the part of government. More importantly, it would give a big boost to businesses and livelihood of millions of people, in line with our ‘shared tourism’ program,” the DOT Chief said. (PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.) MANILA (PNA) – The alleged extrajudicial killing (EJK) in the Philippines has no effect on the country’s inbound tourism, says Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Teo. “Tourists still come to the Philippines,” said Teo.Teo, who has been going out of the country to attract the new market, said that many tourists from France and Thailand would visit in a few months despite the negative publicity the country had been getting from drug-related killings. “In fact, ambassadors with their families will be coming to the Philippines in November, 400 from the US and 100 from Canada,” Teo Read More …
Oct 112016
By Priam F. Nepomuceno President Rodrigo Duterte joins other heads of states on stage during the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Summit at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Laos on September 6. (MNS photo) MANILA (PNA) – The defense chiefs of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to explore joint air patrols in transit corridors considered by the three nations as maritime areas of common concern. Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin and Indonesian Defense Minister Ryacudu reached the agreement on the sidelines of the ASEAN-US Defense Dialogue in Hawaii last October 1. The trilateral cooperation among the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia contributes to a stronger ASEAN, the defense department’s assistant secretary for strategic assessment Raymund Jose Quilop said in a statement issued Monday. Quilop said the cooperation among the three nations is driven by the need to address the rising incidents of armed robbery at sea, kidnapping and piracy in the three countries’ areas of common concern. He noted that the trilateral meeting has evolved to become a platform for the defense ministers to address other emerging common concerns to include violent extremism. Quilop further said that the return of fighters from the conflict in the Middle East could eventually create security challenges for the three countries, something which the defense chiefs recognized, hence their decision to set up the cooperation. With the political support of their respective political leaders, Presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Jokowi Widodo and Prime Minister Najib Razak, the three defense Read More …
Oct 112016
By Leslie D. Venzon MANILA (PNA) – The Duterte administration’s plan to provide free irrigation services to increase productivity and lower rice prices may be realized next year, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Manny Piñol said on Wednesday. Piñol told reporters that Senator Loren Legarda, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, has assured that an additional PHP4 billion will be included in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2017 to implement free irrigation for Filipino farmers. “The PHP4 billion will cover the expected SIF (irrigation service fees) collection which is being used by NIA (National Irrigation Administration) to pay for the salaries and wages of its employees,” he said. NIA is using ISF collections to maintain and operate the different irrigation systems in the country. With free irrigation, Piñol expects the cost of production of rice farmers to lower by PHP3 per kilo, which he believes will “make them at least a little bit competitive.” He estimated that rice prices can drop by PHP7 per kilo with DA’s distribution of good seeds and sufficient fertilizers alone. The Agriculture chief considers the free irrigation program “historic,” noting it is a realization of the commitment of President Rodrigo R. Duterte. “…A President who believes that just like the travellers who use the highway for free, the Filipino farmers who produce food for this country should also be allowed to use for free the water services and irrigation services,” Piñol added. Meanwhile, Legarda, during the hearing on the proposed 2017 budget of Read More …
Oct 112016
By Azer N. Parrocha Job applicants wait in line outside a shopping mall in Manila, Tuesday. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) warned companies of possible closure or cancellation of their license to operate if they fail to address labor contractualization or end-of-contract policies in their work force..(MNS photo) MANILA (PNA) – Senator Joel Villanueva on Wednesday lauded the efforts of the Duterte administration to stop contractualization or ‘endo’ (end-of-contract) and the efforts of private establishments to regularize their contractual workers. Citing the first 100 days accomplishment report of the administration presented by the Department of Labor and Employment, Villanueva said some 195 establishments have so far voluntarily regularized 10,532 workers. These establishments include SM Malls and 7/11 convenience stores which regularized 4,800 and 800 employees, respectively. He meanwhile urged other private companies to follow suit and put safeguards against the blurring of employer-employee relationship and the circumvention of the law on security of tenure. The neophyte senator authored Senate Bill No. 1116 which seeks to ensure security of tenure, protect workers’ welfare by ensuring regularity of salary and benefits, and protect their right to organize. He also stressed that a law is urgently needed to protect and regularize workers and ensure their entitlement to social benefits and protection. Villanueva, who chairs the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development, is set to hold the next hearing on ‘endo’ on October 13.
Oct 112016
KC Concepcion and Sharon Cuneta (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Actress-host KC Concepcion posted on Instagram a photo of her with her mother Sharon Cuneta and rumored beau Aly Borromeo, amid speculations that she had stopped dating the former Azkals captain. In the image, Concepcion was all smiles with Borromeo and Cuneta, who took to Twitter afterwards and wrote: “I loved spending time with you and ze bebe boy this whole evening. Miss you already. Love you!” Cuneta, one of the coaches of “The Voice Kids,” has already admitted that she likes the football player for her eldest daughter, even if Concepcion and Borromeo have yet to make public their relationship. “Anybody that’s nice to my daughter, makes my daughter a better person, and brings her closer to the family, I will like. Aly is like that,” the Megastar said, adding that Borromeo gets along well with Concepcion’s other siblings. Early this month, Concepcion left many of her followers on Instagram confused when she revealed that she is both not “single” and “taken” at the same time. According to her, she is “building an empire, finding [herself], healing [herself], loving [herself], being passionate, getting fit, growing friendships, meeting new people, and making memories.” Some of Concepcion’s fans speculated that her “update” meant that she and Borromeo stopped dating. (MNS)
Oct 102016
REGULATORS officially released yesterday the contents of a presidential order appointing a replacement to engineer Leo L. Jasareno, the official who oversaw an audit of the environmental practices of miners.