pinay<3pinoy

(The Manila Times) With the easing of the pandemic restrictions and the opening of the doors for sports events in the country, swim gear company Finis Philippines has partnered with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to hold swimming competitions at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

BCDA’s office of the president and CEO officer-in-charge Atty. Aristotle Batuhan and Finis Philippines managing director Vince Garcia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Friday, signaling the start of collaborative efforts to promote New Clark City and to hold various events in the sports facilities in the area.

“We at the BCDA would like to thank Finis Philippines for choosing New Clark City as their venue of choice for its competitions and training camps. With the country now shifting to the new normal, the BCDA is looking forward to opening its doors to more swimmers and athletes in New Clark City, giving them access to world-class sport facilities,” Batuhan said… Read More

(Capital News) Manila – The Philippines and the United States will kick off the largest-ever joint military drills in the archipelago nation next week, US officials said Tuesday, showing off their strong defence ties in the face of growing Chinese assertiveness.

Nearly 9,000 Filipino and American soldiers will take part in the 12-day war games on the main island of Luzon, which are usually an annual affair but were cancelled or curbed during the pandemic.

The exercises, which start March 28, will cover among other things maritime security, live-fire training, counterterrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, the US embassy said in a statement.

“(Both sides) will train together to expand and advance shared tactics, techniques and procedures that strengthen our response capabilities and readiness for real-world challenges,” said Major General Jay Bargeron, commander of the US 3rd Marine Division.

Recent manoeuvres between the longtime allies have focused on potential conflict in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.

China has ignored a 2016 ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that its historical claim is without basis… Read More

(Interaksyon) Two of the highest-rated hosts of a vacation rental platform in the Philippines are Filipino women, according to its recent data.

In line with the celebration of Women’s Month, Airbnb puts a spotlight on two of its women hosts that received a five-star ratings from their guests amid the still ongoing pandemic.

These hosts are Emily Avelino and Luz Refe, both of whom are considered Airbnb Superhosts.

Avelino who joined the platform in 2017 currently runs two accommodations in Rizal.

In the feature, she shared that being a host in the platform allowed her to do the things she enjoy and be with her children.

“While I was homeschooling my kids, I prayed for an opportunity that would allow me to still be with my children and yet do something meaningful that I enjoy. I love that I now can host and respond to my guests from anywhere, even when I’m at the grocery store or with my kids – you don’t have to sacrifice family time!” Avelino said.

“Today we employ locals in the mountains to help us run both listings, most of them are working students or mothers who cannot work full time because they take care of their children,” she added… Read More

(Manila Bulletin) Kapamilya star Jericho Rosales couldn’t hide his excitement to begin working on his challenging role in “Sellblock,” the international prison action series of ABS-CBN International Production and Co-Production division, BlackOps Studios Asia, Psyops8, Story Arch Pictures, and Agog Film Productions, which he will headline.

According to Jericho, “Sellblock” was presented to him three years ago and he immediately loved the project.

“It’s always very exciting to do new things, especially groundbreaking projects and I felt that ‘Sellblock’ is one of those. It was presented to me at the time when I was looking for projects with more grit, projects that would push me, motivate me to try out new things, out of the box stuff, even character roles.”… Read More

(JounalOnline) UniTeam senatorial candidate Harry Roque believes that President Duterte can assist in mediating the Russia-Ukraine conflict given the country’s neutral position and constitutionally-mandated foreign policy of peace with all nations.

Roque, an international law expert, said the Philippines has a stake in the conflict’s peaceful resolution because of the country’s dependence on imported oil and gas and strong bilateral partnership with Russia.

Citing the friendly Philippine-Russia relations since the start of the Duterte administration, Roque attested to the personal ties between the President and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a recent speech in Tacloban City, Duterte publicly acknowledged his friendship with Putin and admitted being affected by Russia’s current situation. The President, however, maintained the country’s neutrality on the issue.

The former presidential spokesman sees Duterte as a potential mediator, given his standing among nations directly and indirectly involved in the Eastern European conflict.

Roque said the President is a friend of Russia and has good relations with the United States government since the Visiting Forces Agreement and Mutual Defense Treaty between the US and the Philippines are still in effect… Read More

(VietnamPlus) Jollibee, one of fast food restaurant chains in Vietnam, has marked a new business journey with a commitment to speading endless culinary joy through launching its 150th store in Vietnam.

Hanoi (VNA) – Jollibee, one of fast food restaurant chains in Vietnam, has marked a new business journey with a commitment to speading endless culinary joy through launching its 150th store in Vietnam.

The new store was officially opened on March 19 at No. 254 Dong Da street, Thuan Phuoc ward, Hai Chau district, Da Nang city. It is also the seventh Jollibee store in the central city.

Jollibee is a world well-known famous brand for its product Chickenjoy with more than 1,500 stores operating in over 17 countries and territories around the world. It is a Filipino multinational chain of fast food restaurants owned by the Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC).

The launch of the 150th store is a memorable milestone, and it is also an important step for the journey to become the leading Quick Serving Restaurant (QSR) chain in Vietnam by 2025.

JFC CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong affirmed that Vietnam is among important markets and the largest international market of Jollibee outside the Philippines.

Despite challenges and difficulties brought by COVID-19, Jollibee Vietnam continued to post growth, and the inauguration of the new store demonstrates efforts by the company and the feelings of Vietnamese consumers, he added.

Vietnam is the first foreign market outside the Philippines housing a production plant of the JFC, which spans more than 10,000 sq.m in Can Giuoc district of the Mekong Delta province of Long An, said General Director of Jollibee Vietnam Lam Hong Nguyen.

Together with in-person and online activities in celebration of the newest store, various promotions are rolled out at all Jollibee stores across the country.

The first Jollibee store was opened in Vietnam in 2005. Since then, Jollibee has tried its best to bring Vietnamese families with delicious meals at reasonable prices.

Among the establishment’s best sellers are the house hamburger ‘Yumburger’; the fried chicken meal ‘Chickenjoy’ which comes in both regular and spicy versions; and ‘Jolly Spaghetti’, a sweet-style interpretation of spaghetti.. Read More

(Manila Bulletin) Foreign policy experts warned that China has the ability to use direct military force for its maritime claims, so the next administration must craft a national security strategy that prioritizes strengthening ties with like-minded countries.

“If China really wanted to reliably be able to coerce Manila, it would want the ability to use direct military force, and the reality is that China is going to have that ability,” said Elbridge Colby, former deputy assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development of the US Department of Defense.

“I think the Philippines should concentrate much more on the high-end military scenario rather than the South China Sea gray zone,” Colby added… Read More

(FreeMalaysiaToday) MANILA: Philippine presidential candidates on Saturday sounded the alarm over a possible new wave of coronavirus infections, as neighbours China and South Korea battle a resurgence in cases.

With other countries also detecting the new “Deltacron” coronavirus variant, presidential hopefuls called for aggressive vaccinations, intensified border controls and a stronger health care system during a debate organised by the Commission on Elections, the independent poll regulator.

In skipping one interview, Marcos accused a respected journalist, who previously asked him about human rights atrocities and corruption during his father’s autocratic rule, “biased” for being “anti-Marcos”.

Saturday’s debate covered the nine candidates’ economic agenda and pandemic response plan.

As Covid-19 cases have eased at home, the Philippines has moved to reopen the economy, lifting quarantine requirements for vaccinated foreign tourists and ordering over a million outsourcing employees to return to the office next month to generate business activity.

But Covid-19 flare-ups in other Asian countries such as China have prompted candidates to call for an improved pandemic response, even as their own campaign rallies, experts warned, could become superspreader events… Read More