House not rushing Maharlika fund bill, safeguards enough to prevent failure, solon says

House not rushing Maharlika fund bill, safeguards enough to prevent failure, solon says
(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila — A co-author of the proposed measure creating the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) has assured that the House of Representatives is not rushing to pass the bill.

“No, we are not rushing this bill. In fact, the president has not certified this as urgent kasi kung cinertify n’ya (if he certified this) as urgent we can have it approved by Thursday,” Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel told CNN Philippines’ The Source on Tuesday.

Lawmakers target to approve House Bill 6608 on second reading on Thursday before going on a month-long break for the holidays from Dec. 17 to Jan. 22, 2023.

Pimentel said he expects the third reading for the proposed measure to happen by the end of January to early February, next year… Read More

Justin Brownlee’s bid to become Filipino now in Marcos’ hands

Justin Brownlee's bid to become Filipino now in Marcos' hands
(PhilStar) MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signature is the only thing that Justin Brownlee needs to become a Filipino citizen and qualify to become part of the Philippines’ national basketball team in the FIBA World Cup next year.

This after a unanimous Senate voted on Monday to approve a bill granting Philippine citizenship to the American-born Barangay Ginebra import.

The Senate adopted the version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives, allowing the measure to skip the bicameral conference committee and go straight to Marcos’ table… Read More

‘Black and Filipino Belle’: H.E.R.’s costume for ‘Beauty and the Beast’ features baybayin

‘Black and Filipino Belle’: H.E.R.’s costume for ‘Beauty and the Beast’ features baybayin
(Interaksyon) Filipino-American singer H.E.R. will be playing the role of Belle in the upcoming hybrid live-action and animated special “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.”

“I can’t believe I get to be a part of the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ legacy. The world will see a Black and Filipino Belle!” the artist, whose real name is Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson was quoted in a report.

“I have always wanted to be a Disney princess, and I get to work with two wonderful directors Hamish Hamilton and my favorite, Jon M. Chu. It is very surreal and I couldn’t be more grateful,” she continued. .. Read More

Philippines still a source, destination of child trafficking, says UN rapporteur


(GMA News) The Philippines is still source and destination for child trafficking and sale, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children said on Thursday.

In presenting her preliminary findings following her 11-day visit to the Philippines, Mama Fatima Singhateh added that there was a lack of explicit legal provision to penalize the exploitation of children for travel and tourism.

“The Philippines remains a source and destination country for child trafficking, sale, sexual abuse, and forced marriage… and forced labor,” Singhateh said… Read More

The Forgotten Story of One of the First U.S. Soldiers Killed Overseas After Pearl Harbor

The Forgotten Story of One of the First U.S. Soldiers Killed Overseas After Pearl Harbor
(Time) ighty-one years ago, on Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed U.S. Pacific fleet and Army and Navy aircraft at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, killing some 2,400 military personnel and civilians.

The attack marked the beginning of America’s combat role in the Second World War. But Pearl Harbor wasn’t the only attack on allied positions in the Pacific that week.

The Japanese launched assaults on the American territories Guam, Wake Island, the Philippines, and British territories of Hong Kong, Malaya, and Burma. As the National World War II Museum explains Japan’s strategy back then: “As Adolf Hitler’s armies rampaged across Europe, overrunning Germany’s neighbors in 1939-40 and threatening to invade the British Isles, the European colonial empires in Asia lay nearly undefended, ripe for the picking: the Malay Peninsula, the Dutch East Indies, Indochina. Rich sources of raw materials lay in all of them, rubber, tin, and especially oil, the precious lifeblood of any modern economy.”… Read More

Pageants alert: Miss Supranational PH, Miss Grand PH, Miss World PH to launch in 2023

Pageants alert: Miss Supranational PH, Miss Grand PH, Miss World PH to launch in 2023
(Interaksyon) Three international pageants are set to launch their next editions in the Philippines in 2023.

These pageant titles are as follows:

Miss Supranational Philippines in March 2023
Miss Grand Philippines in June 2023
Miss World Philippines in October 2023
All three national pageants are now under the Miss World Philippines (MWP) organization.

Winners in these competitions, therefore, will be sent to represent the Philippines on the global pageant stage.

This news was posted on the Facebook page of ALV Pageant Circle, the local franchise holder of the Miss Grand International (MGI) pageant, on December 5.

“Mark your calendars and save the dates! Three of the most prestigious titles in global pageantry, all set to unfold in 2023,” the post reads… Read More

Maharlika Fund idea is incredibly obtuse like, ‘what are we in power for?’

Maharlika Fund idea is incredibly obtuse like, 'what are we in power for?'
(The Manila Times) His mouth works faster than his brain — he says things he hasn’t thought of yet. – from Reader’s Digest

First word

poster
SOME ideas and statements are so obtuse that they are fated to outlive and live long, long after their original speaker or writer.

In this strange category of immortal or unforgettable speech speech belong these Filipino specimens:

1. ‘What are we in power for?’

This statement, which is probably the most infamous ever made by a Filipino politician, is attributed to Sen. Jose Avelino, the first Senate President of the Third Republic and a Liberal during the Liberal administration of President Elpidio Quirino (1948-1953)… Read More

Philippines trims 2023 GDP growth target due to global risks

Philippines trims 2023 GDP growth target due to global risks
(Interaksyon) MANILA— The Philippines on Monday lowered its economic growth target for 2023, taking into account an anticipated weakening in global activity, but retained its expansion goals for the succeeding five years.

2023 growth goal cut to 6.0-7.0% from 6.5-8.0%
2024-2028 growth target kept at 6.5-8.0%
Govt revises forex assumptions for 2022-2024

The Southeast Asian nation’s economy is now expected to grow 6.0%-7.0% next year, a lower and narrower range compared with the previous official goal of 6.5%-8.0%, the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) announced in a media briefing.

“It is the global slowdown that is affecting the adjustment,” Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said…. Read More