Year: 2010

Aquino admits dating Liz Uy

Published by Ellen on November 16, 2010

(I did not want to join the frenzy over President Aquino’s lovelife but since it seems many of you are interested, here it is. He is appealing to media to allow him to keep his lovelife private, yet he also talked about it in an interview while attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders meeting.)

Noynoy and Liz Uy — Liz taking care of PNoy

by Lynda Jumilla
ABS-CBN

YOKOHAMA, Japan – For the first time since news swirled around of a new romance in his life about two months ago, President Aquino confirmed reports he and his personal stylist Liz Uy are dating.

Interviewed here on the eve of the 18th APEC Leaders’ Meeting, the 50-year-old bachelor said he saw nothing wrong if he and the 28-year-old stylist spent time together every now and then.

“We have been spending time together as our schedules would permit, but I guess, at this point in time, that is the extent of it,” said the president, in response to queries from reporters.

Despite controversies, Aquino enjoys high performance and trust rating – Pulse Asia

Published by Ellen on November 15, 2010

inspecting corn facility — Despite fumblings, enjoying high ratings

President Aquino enjoys approval and trust of the people despite several controversies in his five-month presidency as shown in the survey conducted by Pulse Asia last month.

In a nationwide survey conducted Oct 20 to 29, 2010, Pulse Asia said Aquino registered a performance rating of 79 per cent and trust rating of 80 per cent.

Pulse Asia said this is the first time they have conducted a survey on Aquino’s performance and the people’s trust on him as president because in the July 2010 survey they conducted, “although the President had already been proclaimed as such, survey respondents were asked to rate his performance during his last three months in the Senate.”

In the July 2010 survey, Aquino got an 88 per cent performance and 85 per cent trust rating.

A wonderful evening of film music

Published by Ellen on November 14, 2010

If ever Gerard Salonga remounts FILMharmoniKA, don’t miss it. It’s not only super entertaining. It’s educational.

FILMharmonika (take note of the additional letter “M”) was last Saturday’s concert by Salonga with his orchestra, FILharmoniKA, of music from the movies with Bituin Escalante as guest.

The lovely thing about FILMharmoniKa was that non-hardcore classical music lovers easily understood and enjoyed the performance. Salonga presented an interesting repertoire that combined the majestic with the soulful. He started the evening with the vibrant theme from the movie classic “The Magnificent Seven” followed by the haunting pieces from the Schindler’s List by John Williams.

The younger people in the audience who may not not have seen “The Magnificent Seven”, the Hollywood hit in the 60’s that starred Yul Bryner , Steve Mc Queen, Charles Bronson recognized the music which they identified with the Marlboro Country ad.

Nag-aaway,pinag-aaway

Published by Ellen on November 13, 2010

Hindi bago ang nag-aaway na mga grupo sa isang organisasyun. Bawa’t isa sa atin ay magkaiba ang ugali.

Noong panahon ni Pangulong Estrada, iba-ibang bloke rin. Sinabi ni Estrada na “Hayaan mo silang mag-aaway-away. Mabuti yan para magbabantayan. Basta ako lang ang boss nila.”

Ito rin kaya ang stratehiya ni Panguloy Aquino? Sa Manila Economic and Cultural Office, ang nagtatayong embassy ng Pilipinas sa Taiwan, inilagay ni PNoy si dating senador Leticia Shahani na miyembro ng board. Ngunit pinatili rin niya si Rosemay “Baby” Arenas, ang napabalitang “special friend” ni dating Pangulong Ramos.

Ang MECO ay isang opisianang tinatawag na gatasan dahil nag laki ng kinikita dyan ng mieymbro ng board. Daang-daang libong piso ang kinukulekta ng mga miyembro ng board dyan.

Hindi nakakapagtaka si Shahani dahil ang alam ng marami na nagsuporta siya sa kandidatura ni PNoy. Napaka-aktibo ng anak niyang si Lila sa kampanya. At ang pamilyang Ramos ay talagang malapit sa Taiwan. Ang ama nina Shahani, si Narciso Ramos, ay dating ambassador sa Taiwan nang hindi pa tayo “One-China” policy.

Burmese Dissident Is Freed After Long Detention

Published by Ellen on November 13, 2010

By The New York Times

YANGON — Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was freed from seven and a half years of house arrest on Saturday and was greeted at the gate of her compound by thousands of jubilant supporters.

She stood waving and smiling as people cheered, chanted and sang the national anthem in a blur of camera flashes. She held a white handkerchief in one hand.

“Thank you for welcoming me like this,” she said, clutching the iron bars of her gate as she looked out at the cheering crowd. “We haven’t seen each other for so long, I have so much to tell you.”

She said she would speak again on Sunday at the headquarters of her now defunct political party, the National League for Democracy.

Man in G-string stopped from Clinton lecture

Published by Ellen on November 12, 2010

By Vincent Cabreza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Teddy Baguilat — Rep. Baguilat, one of the more progressive public officials, is offended.

BAGUIO CITY—A teenager from Sagada town, Mountain Province almost did not get a return for the “good money” that was paid to listen to former United States President Bill Clinton’s lecture at the Manila Hotel on “our common humanity” because he was wearing an Igorot G-string.

Moshe Dacmeg, 19, was almost thrown out of the hotel’s conference hall on Wednesday by an unidentified American and two hotel employees who regarded his Kankanaey G-string attire as inappropriate.

Dacleg is an aide of Vladimir Cayabas, administrator of the Baguio-based National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT), who spent P6,000 to bring the boy and a friend to the lecture.

From China, Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. told the Inquirer he was offended by the report.

“Diplomats who come to the Philippines should be educated about cultural sensibilities. A man in a G-string is not a terrorist but an honorable man,” said Baguilat, who chairs the House committee on indigenous cultural communities.

Cayabas, a Kankanaey from Mountain Province, had attended formal events in Baguio and the Cordillera wearing a G-string. But for the Clinton lecture, he wore a Cordillera-inspired Barong Tagalog. His female companion was in a Kankanaey “tapis” (skirt).

Clinton aide shouts at VP Binay, apologizes

Published by Ellen on November 11, 2010

By Sheryll Mundo, ABS-CBN News

A female staff from the Clinton Foundation shouted at Vice-President Jejomar Binay and asked him to leave a VIP area where former US President Bill Clinton was staying before his speech at the Manila Hotel.

Binay said he was shooed away by the staff from the VIP holding area where Clinton would wait before speaking at the Manila Hotel forum entitled “Embracing Our Common Humanity.”

“Sabi ko lang (I said) you’re ordering us to leave the room, but don’t shout. You know I happen to be the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines,” the vice president recounted saying to the female staff.

Binay said that he obediently exited the VIP room and that the female staff immediately apologized to him.

“Sabi ko OK lang. Kailangan titindig tayo at punahin iyon (I told her it was OK. We should stand up and call their attention to their mistakes also),” the vice president added.

Padaca struggles to keep faith in government

Published by Ellen on November 10, 2010

By Booma CRUZ VERA Files The smile vanishes as soon as soon as she hears a deafening roar across the Abuan River in Isabela province.…

Shalani shines in primetime battle

Published by Ellen on November 9, 2010

Which early evening show did you watch last Monday?

shalani in willing willie — A demure presence in a hyper show

Although there’s GMA-7’s “24 Oras”, the question refers to last Monday night’s battle royale between ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol and ABC-5’s Willing Willie.

Last Monday’s episode of TV Patrol marked the returned of Noli de Castro and Korina Sanchez-Roxas to the prime time news cast. Over at TV-5, it was the debut of Valenzuela councilor Shalani Soledad as co-host of Willie Revillame.

TV Patrol features an ex-vice president, an ex-congressman and wife of an ex-senator. Last Monday’s contest was also dubbed as the battle between ex-future first ladies. If you have no idea why “ex-future first ladies”, I suggest you click to goggle.

TV 5 claimed according to Nielsen, the firm that tracks TV viewership, Willing Willie trounced TV patrol with 11.6 percent share of the audience tying with GMA-7 24 Oras. TV Patrol got 10.7% of early evening audience.

That’s believable because I asked five of my friends what they watched last Monday and all of them answered: Shalani.

Aquino’s problem with Robredo

Published by Ellen on November 7, 2010

(The photos posted here were sent to me by someone who was on the scene during the Aug. 23 hostage taking tragedy. It shows Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo on the scene although he was “out of the loop”. He was with Chinese Embassy representatives, Bai Tian, spokesperson and Li Qinfeng, in a light shirt, consul General.)

President Aquino made a hasty turn- around after he announced in a live TV interview Thursday that he was transferring Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo to the still to be created Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor.

He has to have a scapegoat and the most convenient for him now is media. He said media misunderstood what he said to Ted Failon. ““Mali ang pagkakaintindi,” he said.

Failon asked him what happens now to the three cabinet members who are in “acting” capacity since Congress will be resuming session soon and the Commission on Appointments would be able to deliberate on his appointees. This was his answer : “Sa DILG naman po, baka imando natin sa iba pang ahensya kung saka-sakali. Wala pa pong planong maliwanag. Si Sec. Robredo maganda po ang ginagawang trabaho ngayon pero meron po tayong gustong i-fast track na mga programa tulad sa informal settlers na talagang expertise ho niya.So baka magtayo tayo ng bagong grupo na talagang tutulong sa Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor at mga shelter agencies natin na mas focused and mas realizeable tulad noong sa Lupang Arenda, daang libo ang nasa danger.”