MANILA, Philippines – Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is seeking to travel overseas from October to December for medical treatment.
A document from the Office of the Secretary General shows that Artemio Adasa Jr. has endorsed to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs Arroyo’s travel authority (TA).
The travel authority is an amendment of the one granted by House Speaker Sonny Belmonte to Arroyo originally dated September 16, 2011 for travel last September 18 to October 11.
The amended travel authority is dated October 19, 2011 and labeled as a 1st endorsement.
The amended TA reads, …

MANILA, Philippines – CNN said the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) brings the term “stuck in the 1970s” to a whole new level.
In an article titled “World’s 10 most hated airports,” CNN’s Jordane Rane said up to the present, NAIA is “beleaguered by ground crew strikes, unkempt conditions, soup kitchen-style lines that feed into more lines and an overall sense of futility.”
It noted the rash of bad press it got, including the “Worst in the World” by the Sleeping in Airport blog.
This was capped, however, by a “collapsed ceiling in …

Credit belongs to the taxpayers, so take those billboards with your big smiling face somewhere else.
This, in essence, is the message of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago in Senate Bill No. 1967, her version of what the man in the street would call an “anti-epal” measure, as it is directed at politicians or bureaucrats who claim credit for projects built with public funds.
“Epal” is slang for “mapapel,” a Filipino term for attention grabbers, scene stealers, or people who crave a role (papel) in affairs that are not necessarily theirs to handle or …

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Former actor and senator Ramon Revilla Sr. fathered 72 children to 16 different women, the spokesman of one of his sons said Wednesday.
Thirty-eight of his children are officially acknowledged and carry his surname, according to Portia Ilagan, spokesperson of Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.
The Revilla patriarch was born Jose Acuña Bautista and took the screen name Ramon Revilla when he entered the movies.
His eldest child is Evelyn Bautista, wife of another former senator and basketball legend Robert Jaworski.
Revilla’s youngest child, meanwhile, is 15-year-old Abigail.
One daughter, Andrea, …

MANILA — The Philippines said Wednesday it had banned Filipinos from travelling to work in 41 countries and territories that had allegedly failed to provide enough safeguards to protect them from abuse.
The Department of Labour and Employment in a board resolution posted on its website said the blacklisted countries failed to sign international conventions protecting foreign workers.
Neither have these countries signed bilateral agreements with the Philippines “on the protection of the rights of overseas Filipino workers,” the resolution said.
They also do not have their own laws protecting foreign workers, the …

MANILA, Philippines—Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Francis Tolentino has welcomed a suit filed by a motorcycle safety advocacy group against the implementation of the motorcycle lanes at Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City.
“We welcome this lawsuit … with an end view of fine-tuning [the policy],” Tolentino said in a television interview, insisting that the new measure is very “helpful to the public.”
He lamented that it appeared the judicial process was apparently being used to stop a policy which he said tried to “instill discipline” among …

MANILA, Philippines – The new generation Philippine peso bills, which came under fire for its design that included error-filled maps, has received accolades from an international currency association, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
In a statement, the BSP said the new generation currency banknote series was a finalist for the Best New Banknote Series award at the 2011 Currency Conference of the US-based International Association of Currency Affairs (IACA) in Singapore last October 5. IACA’s membership includes central banks, financial institutions and industry players.
The Philippine banknotes, however, lost …

Vice President Jejomar C. Binay has sought the help of historians in rectifying what could be an oversight in proclaiming revolutionary General Miguel Malvar as the rightful second President of the Philippines.
In his letter to National Historical Commission chair Maria Serena I. Diokno and heads of history departments of various universities and colleges, Binay said he received information that Malvar was Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s right-hand during the war against the United States and took over command when the latter (Aguinaldo) was captured by American forces in Palanan, Isabela.
Since he took …

Col. Moammar Gadhafi, the dictator who ruled Libya for 42 years, was killed by rebels in his hometown of Sirte on Thursday. A dictator who oppressed his own people and sponsored terrorism abroad, Gadhafi’s legacy will be stained by violence. But beyond his brutality, Gadhafi will be remembered for something else entirely… being a first-class weirdo.
In no particular order, ABCNews.com brings you the seven weirdest things about Moammar Gadhafi.
1. The “Bulletproof” Tent: When Gadhafi was at home in Tripoli, he lived in a well fortified compound with a complex system …

Actress/TV host Kris Aquino, sister of President Benigno Aquino III, has accepted the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees’ (UNHCR) offer to be an “honorary patron,” the first step to becoming an ambassador of goodwill.
“Just finished UNHCR dinner. I accepted their appointment,” Kris tweeted Tuesday night.
She also said she is “in excellent company,” noting that there are four honorary patrons and one goodwill ambassador in the world.
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie is a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador who started out as an honorary patron.
“I’m honorary patron together with Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls, Khaled …

MANILA, Philippines – Two Filipino teachers, who were hired to fill a shortage in Louisiana in 2007, have filed a federal lawsuit against the hiring firm that recruited them in the Philippines after being allegedly forced to pay exorbitant fees, the Lost Angeles Times reported today.
In a complaint filed in Los Angeles, Ingrid Cruz and Rolando Pascual accused Universal Placement International Inc. and its president Lourdes Navarro of forcing them to pay immigration fees, which should have been paid by the districts that hired them under the federal law.
The lawsuit said the …

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 was voted the world’s worst airport for 2011 by readers of “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports,” a site that reviews the quality and facilities of the world’s airports.
Its primary audience seems to be budget travelers who see sleeping in airports as one way to save money during their journeys.
Among the array of problems cited by international passengers who managed to survive the airport were theft, bribery, and the absence of toilet seats and running water in the bathrooms.
One reader had this experience:
“A big …

By Non Alquitran
The Philippine Star
Photo courtesy of Multiply.com
MANILA, Philippines – Slain University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) student Given Grace Cebanico was laid to rest in Binangonan, Rizal yesterday.
At least 6,000 mourners, majority of them wearing white and lavender, Cebanico’s favorite color, attended the funeral at the Sto. Rosario Memorial Park in Binangonan town.
While Cebanico’s body was lowered to her final resting place, several mourners released white balloons in the air.
Earlier, a necrological service was held at the Darangan Church.
Cebanico’s father said it is not only her daughter who …

By Christine O. Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2:55 am | Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
Here is one job where she can’t afford to let show biz intrigues bog her down.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) is inviting President Benigno Aquino III’s celebrity sister, Kris, to be its goodwill ambassador for Asia.
If she accepts the offer, Kris will be joining the likes of film actress Angelina Jolie and the late Princess Diana, presidential political adviser Ronald Llamas said Monday. Jolie continues to go around the globe as goodwill ambassador for the UNCHR.
“(This …

By Teresa Cerojano
Associated Press
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A senior Philippine official said Friday that studies have found structural flaws in a 9-year-old Manila airport terminal that suffered a partial ceiling collapse in 2006.
Two engineering companies and one engineers’ association that examined Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3 found flaws of varying degrees of seriousness, said Transportation and Communication Secretary Manuel Roxas II.
He said one study found only slight defects that can easily be fixed, another said it’s more serious and the third believes it’s “very serious.” The terminal was largely …

By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
2:00 am | Saturday, October 8th, 2011
With the possibility raised that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband could be in jail on nonbailable charges by Christmas, some lawmakers are wondering whether the couple will do “a Thaksin” or “an Erap,” (Joseph Estrada).
“They may likely do a Thaksin,” said Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao.
“The possibility [of seeking political asylum] is strong considering that the charges against them, ranging from plunder to electoral sabotage, are nonbailable offenses,” he said.
Aggabao was referring to Thaksin Shinawatra, the former …

MANILA, Philippines – Celebrities, politicians, sports personalities and ordinary people across the country turned to social networking sites to mourn the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
Others praised and thanked Jobs for introducing the iconic iPhone, iPod, iPad and other devices that changed the daily habits of millions across the globe.
Below are some of their tweets:

“R.I.P. Steve Jobs. Thank you for making life easier.” — Angel Locsin, actress
“Steve Jobs!!! For the technology that enhanced not just my music but all our lives… thank you. Oh my Lord, this is a …

The photo of the ‘floating’ DPWH officials has been the talk around the blogosphere for a couple of days now pero hanggang ngayon aliw na aliw pa rin ako sa mga iba’t-ibang versions circulating online. Listed below are my favorites:

Check them out sa Abbey Road!
Join din sila sa ‘We are the World’ (Can you spot them here?)
Kasama naman nila dito ang mga rallying plankers
DPWH-ing with the ‘Eraserheads’. Cool!!!
Ginawan din sila ng version with the UP Pep Squad
Sinama din sila sa ‘Hogwarts’ with Harry Potter and friends
May version din sila sa …

Hong Kong’s High Court has ruled that an immigration law banning foreign maids from permanent residency is unconstitutional — a landmark decision that could pave the way for many applications from domestic helpers.
The court found Friday that employment and immigration law discriminates against Hong Kong’s nearly 300,000 mostly Indonesian and Filipino maids. All other people can apply for permanent residency after living in Hong Kong for seven years.
The case was brought before the High Court by Evangeline Vallejos, a former businesswoman from the Philippines who came to Hong Kong to …

Manila Bulletin
By ROBERT R. REQUINTINA
September 20, 2011, 8:08pm
MANILA, Philippines — Panama has declined to stage the 2013 Miss Universe contest, two months after it was announced that the project is almost a done-deal between the government and the pageant organizers.
Reports also said the Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) and ABS-CBN, new home of the BPCI, may soon bid for the staging of the world’s most prestigious beauty pageant in the Philippines.
If the Philippines wins the bid, it would be the third time for the Miss Universe pageant to be held …

By Ronnie Nathanielsz in Manila/Philippine Daily Inquirer
ANN – Tue, Sep 13, 2011
Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) – It is becoming increasingly evident that pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao is either surrounded by incompetent advisers, including lawyers who don’t know the law, or that he is stubborn enough to ignore them.
Pacquiao’s announcement that he plans to run for vice president in 2016 was met by disbelief by most people, not because of the audacity of his announcement but the fact that under the Constitution of the Republic he is ineligible to run because …

KIMBERLY JANE TAN, GMA News
09/13/2011 | 10:48 AM
Photo Credit: Here
A former Shari’a court judge has admitted helping distribute alleged bribe money to help then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo win the 2004 presidential polls.
During Tuesday’s Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the PNP choppers mess, Judge Nagamura Moner said that on May 13, 2004, former Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) director general Alfonso Cusi called him up to help Mrs. Arroyo.
“I received a call from Alfonso Cusi (at) about 9:30 p.m. telling me that I should go to Cotabato City, Tawi-Tawi, and …

by OHgamer
Tue Sep 13, 2011 9:08 pm
Once again it was the final question that determined who would be Miss Universe. Like I posted at the time during the event, I though Angola rocked the final question. She seemed to know what she wanted to answer and gave her answer tactfully but with conviction. She just “sounded” like a Miss Universe when she gave that answer, and that is what I think clinched it for her. She may not have had the hottest body, or the most graceful catwalk of the …

by JasonandMahalia Shoup
September 7, 2011 (Wednesday) at 10:47am
Bago ko simulan ang aking makabagbag-damdaming pagbulusok ng aking saloobin ukol kay James Soriano, basahin muna ang kanyang mabilis na pinahing artikulo na iniwasto naman (grammatically) ni Migs Bassig sa link na ito:
http://migsbassig.blogspot.com/2011/08/editing-james-soriano.html
Kung gusto niyo naman nag cached version ng pinahing article na:
Language, learning, identity, privilege
Ithink
By JAMES SORIANO
August 24, 2011, 4:06am
Ito ang link:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:GMVBu5Hmx9kJ:www.mb.com.ph/articles/331851/language-learning-identity-privilege+http://mb.com.ph/articles/331851/language-learning-identity-privilege
Ngayong nabasa niyo na, magsisimula na akong mag-himutok. Hindi naayong palampasin lamang at limutin ang artikulong ito. At dahil sa kahihiyan ng Manila Bulletin, agad itong nawala sa internet dalawang araw …

Pilipinas nalugmok ka sa kahirapan
Naiwanan ka na ng kaunlaran
Kapayapaan hindi pa rin matagpuan
Kahit natapos, paghahari ng isang ngalan.
Naglingkod sa iyo ang isang ina
Puno ng pag-asa, puno din ng kudeta
Sunod sa dikta ng “masa” at simbahan
Ganap na liwanag di naman natagpuan.
Pinasakay ka naman ng isang heneral
Ang lipad sa ibang bansa ay madalas
Kaysa sa mga probinsyang hirap ay dinaranas
Kayraming scam, katotohanang di nailabas.
Lumabas ang nag-angking anak ng masa
Sumigaw, “walang kaibigan kapag nagkasala”
Subalit siya ang nahatulang nagkasala
Dahil sa korapsyon at jueteng payola.
Siyam na taon kang pinaikot sa kamay
Isang munting nilalang, malago ang galamay
Gabineteng …