Showing posts with label Philippines News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippines News. Show all posts

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Andi: Albie is abusive and father of the baby


MANILA, Philippines – After keeping her silence about her past relationship with actor Albie Casiño, actress Andi Eigenmann dropped a bomb on Sunday when she revealed that her former boyfriend used to abuse her physically and verbally when they were still together.
In an exclusive interview with “The Buzz” aired on Sunday, Eigenmann cried when she recalled how Casiño beat her up when she went to his house and told him about their baby.
“It was not necessarily the day na we found out because we tried and tried to check if it was really confirmed. This was around the time that our friend AJ passed away. Medyo naging cold na po kasi siya sa akin but since I was doing this alone, kailangan ko pa rin po siya kasi siya po ang daddy ng anak ko. Nung time po na iyon, siya ang boyfriend ko. Alam po niya iyon," Eigenmann told "The Buzz" host Boy Abunda.
“I went to his house, pagdating ko pa lang pinapauwi na po niya ako. He doesn’t want to talk to me anymore. He was being mean, verbally abusing me. Because he was verbally abusing me, I slapped him. Because I slapped him, he got mad at me, grabbed me by the collar, hit me against the rock wall in his garage and smacked me eight times until I went down on the floor,” she narrated.
After what happened, Eigenmann Casiño went inside their house to ask his mom to send her home.
“I tried to talk to his mom properly and tell her na ‘Tita please listen to me. He just hurt me.’ Hindi niya po ako pinakinggan. Nung sinabi ko po na binugbog po ako ni Albie, sinabi niya dati tinanong ko na iyan sa iyo,” she said.
Eigenmann shared her mom Jaclyn Jose had once tried to call Casiño’s mom to tell about how he abused her.
“I denied it kasi po nung time na iyon, kami pa po ni Albie at ayaw ko pong mapahamak siya,” she said.
Threats to ruin career
But Eigenmann further revealed that it was not the only time that Casiño had beaten her up.
“He hit me at the Star Magic ball. My friends saw it. He always accuses me of doing things that I don’t do like cheating,” she said.
Aside from this, Eigenmann said Casiño threatened that he will ruin her career.
“When he said on [social networking site] Formspring that I cheated on him with 10 boys because he wanted to deny the fact that he beat me up, I called him right away and asked him why he had to do that. At the beginning he said sorry and that he’s gonna take it back as long as he gets to get an interview," she said.
“Pero binawi niya po tapos sinabi niya na I’m going to lie and lie until I die. ‘I don’t care. You have to be ruined.’ Sisirain niya raw ang career ko. Hindi raw siya papayag na I’d go further. He’s higher than me daw because he was the bida in ‘Mara Clara.’ Those were his last words,” she said.
Eigenmann also revealed that Casiño asked her not to agree to get a DNA test because he would be disowned by his family if they found out.
"I was all game for it but Albie said sorry to me for everything and told me, 'No matter what happens, kahit anong mangyari, huwag kang papayag na magpa-DNA test kay Mama kasi kapag nalaman ni Mama at ni Papa na sa akin siya, idi-disown nila ako and you know how much I love my family,'" she said.
"Tinatawagan po niya ako. Sa akin okay lang. Iyon lang ang hinihintay ko. Mag-sorry ka, own up to your mistakes... Nung nalaman po ni Albie na my parents declined it, wala na. Ganun na po ulit siya," she said.
Eigenmann, however, admitted that there was still a part of her that was hoping that Casiño would call her during her pregnancy.
“Opo [umasa ako]. Not because mahal ko po siya unlike what people think. It was because of my baby. It was because I couldn’t believe na I fell in love with a person na ganun. Ganoon siya ka-heartless. I don’t want to tell Eli that her dad hates her, that her dad wanted her to die. I don’t want to have to do that,” she said.
Eigenmann said Casiño’s family even tried to pay for her hospital bills.
“They never talked to me. All I know is they tried to pay for my hospital bills thinking that if they paid for it, I’d forgive them. I don’t think they know I know that, but I do. If they really want us to be okay, a fruitcake would have been better, not paying for hospital bills. What do they think I look like? A gold digger? I work for myself,” she said.
No regrets
Despite all that has happened, Eigenmann told Abunda that she does not regret having loved Casiño because he is still the father of her baby.
“Kung hindi ko po siya minahal, wala po si Eli. And even if Eli is his, I wouldn’t want to have my life any other way. I don’t care, I don’t have any regrets because we were happy too once. He was my best friend. I don’t regret the fact that I fell in love with him. I just wonder what happened to him,” she said.
Asked if she has already moved on, Eigenmann said: “Everyone who doesn’t like me thinks that I’m this way because I haven’t moved one up to now. Tito Boy I had a boyfriend while I was pregnant. Someone else owned up to it.
“Sana po maintindihan po nila ako. I’m not saying that Albie is a bad person. I just wanted to finally for once tell the truth,” she said.
Eigenmann also said her heart only has one prayer after everything that happened.
“Sana po tumigil na po sila. Wala po akong ginagawa sa kanila. Lahat po ng mga nangyari sa akin, nangyari dahil sa kung paano nila ako trinato. My only prayer is that they’d learn to understand that this should just be left, be over. If they don’t want to meet Eli, if they don’t want to ever accept Eli as part of their family, so be it. But that doesn’t mean that they have to ruin me also,” she said.
Eigenmman said every time she sees Casiño “I’ll never forget what he did to me. That's how much damaged he caused.”


Source: Abs-Cbn News

Mon Tulfo and Raymart fight with Baretto Sisters



MANILA, Philippines – Actor Raymart Santiago and journalist Mon Tulfo got into a fist fight Sunday afternoon at the arrival area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
In an interview with dzMM, Tulfo said he just arrived from Davao onboard a Cebu Pacific flight when he saw a familiar face at the arrival area reprimanding a flight attendant.

“Nasa arrival area na ako, palabas na ako ng arrival area tapos may napansin akong magandang babae. Namumukhaan ko, maganda siya eh. Hindi ko naman siya nakilala. Pinagalitan ang ground stewardess ng Cebu Pacific,” he said.

Tulfo said he later on recognized that it was Santiago’s wife, actress Claudine Barretto, who was scolding the airport staff.

“Nag-sympathize ako sa kanya dahil sabi ko, tingnan mo nga naman itong Cebu Pacific bakit naman ganooon. Marami na kasing insidente itong Cebu Pacific naging inefficient sa cargo ng mga pasahero. Kaya sabi ko buti nga,” he said.
Tulfo said he then decided to take a photo of Barretto through his camera when he heard that Barretto was already cursing the stewardess.

“Noong nakita ko na minumura na niya ang pobreng babae na mangiyak-ngiyak, ipatatanggal daw niya sa trabaho, kinunan ko ng litrato ng cellphone. Gusto ko sanang sabihin na ‘Cool ka lang, iyan namang babae, wala namang kasalanang personal sa iyo bakit mo naman minumura,’” he said.

Tulfo, however, said he was caught off guard after Santiago approached him and was forcefully trying to grab his cellphone.

“Noong nilagay ko ang cellphone ko sa vest ko... nakita nung si Raymart Santiago. Pilit niyang kinukuha ang cellphone ko. Sabi niya, ‘Bakit ka kumukuha?’ Magpapakilala sana ako kaya lang nung pilit na niyang kinukuha ang cellphone ko, tinulak ko siya sabi ko wala kang karapatan na kunin ang cellphone ko. Doon nag-umpisa ang kaguluhan,” he said.
Tulfo said several people approached him and a punch landed on his face that’s why he decided to fight back.
“Habang sinasangga ko ang mga suntok nila dahil marami sila, minumura pa ako. Ako na ang binalingan ni Claudine Barretto ng galit niya. Minumura mura na ako. Tinamaan ako eh. Noong tinamaan ako sa may mata, nagdilim na ang paningin ko,” he said.

Tulfo said it took a while before airport authorities responded to stop the brawl.
Airport authorities are currently conducting an investigation over the incident.

Source: Abs-Cbn News

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Albie Casino Beaten Up by Frank Magalona & 3 Others


MANILA, Philippines – Young actor Albie Casiño was allegedly attacked by friends of his former flame, actress Andi Eigenmann, during their recent encounter at a bar in Makati City.

Rina Casiño, Albie’s mother, told ABS-CBNnews.com that her son came face to face with Eigenmann on Friday night at Fiamma, which led to an aggressive confrontation. Rina, who was in Subic at the time, was alerted about the incident by her brother Allee Lee and Albie’s road manager.

According to her, Eigenmann “splashed wine on his (Albie’s) face and slapped him.” Rina said Albie opted to “clean himself up in the restroom” and leave the venue to avoid worsening the situation. She said, however, that Albie and his friend were followed to the bar’s parking lot by Eigenmann’s companions, a move that she called “planned and premeditated.”


Rina identified Eigenmann’s friends as Frank Magalona, Carlos Concepcion, a certain Lacson and a certain Arce. Albie was allegedly hit on the head with a wine bottle. Moments later, the bar’s bouncer was able to stop the commotion, Rina said.



The actor is now resting after going through a CT scan and other medical tests at the Makati Medical Center. Rina said they have yet to find out if Albie sustained serious injuries from the alleged clash with Eigenmann’s group. Their family has yet to file a blotter report, but is planning to file charges against those involved, Rina said.

Albie is said to be the father of Eigenmann’s daughter, Adrianna Gabrielle. Star Magic, the talent management firm handling Eigenmann, is now conferring with her family to issue a statement on the incident.




In an official statement sent to ABS-CBNnews.com on Saturday, Eigenmann admitted to allegations made by Albie’s mother Rina Casiño that she (Eigenmann) “splashed wine on his face,” but asserted that she had nothing to do with her alleged companions assaulting Albie. “It was my first time seeing him face to face. He gave me a bad look and I felt really bad. I thought I have moved on but because of the incident wounds of the past came back,” Eigenmann said, recounting her estrangement with Albie over her controversial pregnancy. “I admit that out of impulse, I threw wine on his face, and the next thing I heard was he was being beaten up outside,” she added.


In an earlier interview with ABS-CBNnews.com, Albie's mother said four men, allegedly Eigenmann’s friends – Frank Magalona, Carlos Concepcion, Jeck-Jeck Lacson and Neil Arce – assaulted Albie at the parking lot of Fiamma. “I ran up to ask him how he was. By his reaction and the way he was cursing at me, it seemed he readily thought I had something to do with it,” Eigenmann said.


The “Agua” star added that she felt it was “acceptable” to be pointed as an instigator of the fight, but maintained that she hadn’t known of any plans to attack Albie. “I was inside when it happened. I believe it should be acceptable for him to accuse me of such a thing, but I honestly don’t have anything to do with it,” Eigenmann said.

Source: Abs-Cbn News

Friday, May 4, 2012

Priest admits being married to a Filipina




A Catholic priest in Australia has made a controversial revelation: he has been married to a Filipina for a year now.

Father Kevin Lee, a priest for 20 years in Glenmore Park, Sydney, admits "living a double life" with his wife Josephina, whom he met in the Philippines.

“So I've fallen in love and I've got married and it's outside of most people's awareness, but I'm sure people within the church could have had a suspicion,” Lee told 7News.

The Australian priest claimed that there are many others like him and that he pitied those “sacrificing” priests around the world who are denying themselves a relationship.
 
“That's one of the reasons that motivated me to make public my admission that I'm one of those people who's been a pretender: To draw to the attention of the public that there are more like me, in fact most of them,” Lee was quoted as saying.
 
“I feel sorry for them, I really do, but I think they need to admit they are not being led properly. I think celibacy has to go as a prerequisite for being a minister in the Catholic religion,” he added.
 
While urging for the abolition of celibacy, Lee also plans to write a book about what he believes is the wider wrongdoing of fellow priests.

Source: Yahoo

Shaina, John Lloyd end relationship







In a TV Patrol report aired on Friday, May 4, Shaina confirms that she and John Lloyd have broken up.

"To end all speculations, I confirm that John Lloyd and I 

have agreed to end our relationship. The reason is purely between John Lloyd and myself. I most humbly request everyone to allow us to move on with our respective lives with mutual respect and dignity."

Shaina and John Lloyd, who have been together since June 2010, have endured many controversies as a couple, one of them was her feud with actress-host Ruffa Gutierrez.



Source: Yahoo

Thursday, May 3, 2012

CNN Shows Good, Bad Side of Tourism in the Country


MANILA, Philippines - The Aquino government calls itself lucky for getting a discount from global news network CNN in promoting its tourism program.

NN shows are now swarming with “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” spots, reminiscent of years back when the government put a hard sell on its “WoW Philippines” campaign.
Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez told radio dzMM on Thursday the government was able to “secure a package that affords us something like over 2,900 spots between now and the middle of June.”

He defended the government’s spending of roughly P63 million for these spots, pointing out that the amount is way cheaper than what local networks are charging for 15-second ads.
“It is just 1/12 of the cost of primetime spots in local networks like ABS-CBN,” he said.
Advantage of CNN
More importantly, he added, it is just a small chunk of the barely-touched US$10 million budget earmarked for the tourism campaign this year.
He said the reach of CNN worldwide could spell the difference for the campaign since the Turner-created company has cornered audiences in airports and hotels across the world.
“We can’t get for free a market share in tourism, as in any business,” he said.
It was also good timing on the part of the Department of Tourism since CNN is running its one-week special, “Eye on the Philippines.”
Bad, good advertising
Jimenez said the government is riding on CNN’s special report, which helped it get a discounted package.
A report from Anna Coren and Pamela Boykoff’s on Thursday morning was a good review of sorts for the Philippines, showcasing its “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” slogan and high-fiving the social media campaign that bolstered it.
“The Philippines Department of Tourism has a lot to boast about. The country has beautiful beaches, great scuba diving and a culture that is known for its hospitality. What it doesn't have is a lot of money for a global tourism campaign. Thankfully, the country's social media mad population is happy to help,” the story said.
It noted, however, that the social media campaign also elicited critical messages. “Ads sprung up with slogans like "Poverty, More Fun in the Philippines," and "Corruption, More Fun in the Philippines."
Poor infrastructure
The CNN report also talked about what residents already know, and what the international audience has heard of or has yet to find out.
CNNGo, in a related story, said: “Even for travelers who get past the negative stereotypes -- and as with most hysterical complaining, the negative reviews on the Philippines are almost always wildly exaggerated -- getting to the Philippines can be a physical burden. “
The story also said that the islands are “scattered off Southeast Asia mainland,” making it more costly to reach for travelers who can easily reach Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam.
Worst airport
Late last year, CNN had tagged the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as one of the world’s 10 most-hated airports.
CNN’s Jordane Rane reported that NAIA was “beleaguered by ground crew strikes, unkempt conditions, soup kitchen-style lines that feed into more lines and an overall sense of futility.”
Jimenez fully well knows the problem on tourism infrastructure which is why, he said, the government is doing its best to address the issue.
He said the government knows what it is promoting but “we also have to calibrate everything as best as we can without taking the foot off the gas.”
Jimenez also gave CNN an answer: "We keep telling everyone, the tourism picture, or snapshot you’re getting today will be very dramatically different in two years when a lot of these new gateways start coming out of the chute.”




Source: Abs-Cbn News

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

More Chinese ships arrive at Scarborough Shoal



MANILA, Philippines - There's still no end in sight to the Scarborough Shoal standoff, as more Chinese boats have arrived at the disputed territory.
There are now 14 Chinese vessels in the area, which is located just 124 nautical miles off Zambales, according to Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command spokesman Capt. Aurello Kigis.
He said the foreign ships include 3 maritime surveillance ships and a fisheries law enforcement command vessel.
The Philippines has deployed the Coast Guard's BRP Edsa Dos and a ship from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to the area.
There were 6 other Filipino fishing vessels in the area last Sunday, but it is not known how many have remained as of Wednesday.
Kigis said the Armed Forces of the Philippines continues to monitor the area to protect the Philippines' territorial integrity.
He declined to comment on the rising number of Chinese ships at the shoal, which is locally known as Panatag.

May 11 protests

Meanwhile, a Filipino-American leader is urging Filipinos worldwide to join next week's protests against China.
    
For the group US Pinoys for Good Governance, now is the time to stand up to what it calls as China's bullying at Scarborough Shoal.

"I'm calling on the global Pinoys who are concerned about this intrusion of China and who are singing the national anthem, 'Sa manlulupig, di ka pasisiil', let's stand up and show up on Friday, May 11," said the group's leader, Loida Nicolas Lewis.
Filipinos in the US, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and other countries are expected to launch protests in front of Chinese embassies and consulates, Lewis told ANC on Wednesday.
"The international family of nations should see that this big wannabe worldpower China, is not following international law," she said.
Lewis will lead the protests in New York.
In Manila, the rallies will be spearheaded by partylist group Akbayan.
At the Foreign Affairs Department, officials asserted that the Philippine will stand its ground at Scarborough Shoal.
While the US refuses to take sides in the territorial dispute, the DFA said Manila's key ally will not tolerate the use of force and that it shares the Philippine position that the standoff must be resolved legally and peacefully.


Source: Abs-Cbn News


Sharon: KC not yet ready for new relationship




Although KC Concepcion is being linked to Jules Knight of the international boy group Blake, Sharon Cuneta says her daughter is not ready for a new relationship.
 
“Hindi ready, hindi ready talaga (si KC),” Sharon said during the press conference for her upcoming TV5 talk show “Sharon: Kasama Mo, Kapatid.” 
 
The Megastar explained that her failed relationship with Piolo Pascual has taught KC to be more “careful.”
 
“Si KC is, after the relationship with Piolo, hindi naman sa na-trauma, pero maingat,” Sharon said.
 
Although she describes Jules as “mabait,” Sharon adds that KC’s reservation comes from the fact that the singer is not based in the Philippines.
 
“Siyempre natatakot siya kasi, my God, kung saan saan magper-perform ito,” she said. “Kung mga artistang Pilipino nga e, nakakatakot. E kakagaling lang niya dito kay Piolo, biglang, baka mag times one million ang pain niya kung sakali.”
 
But will Sharon approve of Jules if KC’s friendship with the British singer turns serious?
 
“Okay lang sa akin kahit sino pa, basta mahalin ang anak ko. At mahalin lang ang anak ko,” she explained.
 
‘Very happy’
 
Nonetheless, Sharon said KC is “very happy” and has forgiven Piolo.
 
“KC is fine. I’m happy to tell you that she’s very, very happy now. Very, very happy now,” she said. “And she has forgiven, she has moved on from the Piolo issue. My prayer also is that mag-move on na rin yung mga sumama ang loob siguro that they broke up.”
 
Sharon admits that while she’s disappointed over Piolo when the break-up happened, she has likewise moved on.  
 
“Nasaktan ako kasi mahal ko si PJ (Piolo) e. I really welcomed him with open arms,” she said. “Na-forgive ko na siya. Finorgive nga niya (KC) e, ako pa.”
 
Sharon also apologized to those affected by her comments regarding the issue, adding, “kung may nasabi ako, kasi ano ko naman yun, e. Pag anak ko na yung binabastos, magsasalita ako.”
 
Still decent
 
If one is to look at her showbiz career, KC is obviously past the break-up issue. Besides her upcoming movie with Anne Curtis and Derek Ramsay, KC is slated to host “X Factor Philippines” on ABS-CBN. She also appeared on the covers of Rogue and Cosmopolitan magazines.
 
Does Sharon approve of her daughter’s sexy cover photos?
 
“Yung totoo, hindi,” she quipped. “Nung una kong nakita, yung cover lang ng ‘Rogue.’ Sabi ko, ‘Ay, kitang-kita, puwet ko yan.’ Tapos sabi ko, ‘Kumusta naman yung inside pages?’ Ang joke ko sa kanya was, ‘Did you remain your decent self or did you steal my future poses?’ Sabi niya, ‘I’m sorry, I stole your poses’.”
 
Sharon admits some of the magazine poses shocked her, prompting her to scold KC. But still, “Disente pa rin naman ang anak ko. Wala namang balak mag bold star!”
 
The Megastar’s new show, “Sharon: Kasama Mo, Kapatid” premieres Monday, May 7 on TV5.

Source: Yahoo

Derek Ramsay on Angelica Panganiban: "May pinagdadaanan kami"

The actor admits he and his girlfriend are having a lover's spat.

Actor Derek Ramsay, who was named Box-Office King for his blockbuster movie No Other Woman at the recently concluded Guillermo Mendoza Scholarship Foundation Awards, failed to mention his girlfriend of six years,Angelica Panganiban, in his acceptance speech, InterAksyon.com reports. This prompted News5 Aksyon reporters to ask him why.

“I didn’t name names," Derek clarified. "I didn’t even name my sisters. But when I say family, Angel [Angelica’s nickname] is part of our family."

He did admit, however, that he and Angelica aren't on the best of terms at the moment. "Angel and I are working things out. We’re talking. May pinagdadaanan kami. (We're going through something.)"

The star said he was hoping for a happy ending to their tiff in the near future. "Pinagdaanan na rin namin itobeforeSo we’ll see. ‘Pag nag-usap na kami doon kami magsasalita. (We already went through this before, so we'll see. After we've faced each other, that's when we'll talk about it publicly.)"

Source: FN

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Train Derailment in Muntinlupa




MANILA, Philippines – A Philippine National Railways (PNR) train derailed in Muntinlupa City Tuesday morning.
Authorities said the incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. near the San Simon Compound in Barangay Cupang.
No one was injured in more than 100 passengers of the train headed to Tutuban, Manila.
PNR suspects that the hot weather may have caused the railroad bolts to get detached.

The extreme heat may have also caused the rails to slightly expand.
PNR management said it is planning to hose the railroads with water to cool them down during hot weather.

Source: Abs-Cbn News

Hackers continue attacks on China websites


MANILA, Philippines - Filipino hackers have continued to deface Chinese government websites despite calls from the Philippine government to end the attacks.
On Monday, posts on the "PrivateX," "Anonymous #OccupyPhilippines" and "Anonymous Butuan" Facebook pages reported fresh attacks on websites in China.
The hackers have called their campaign "#OpChinaDown," which is in alleged response to the attacks made by some Chinese hackers on Philippine websites.
The hacking spree is also directly related to the simmering dipsute between Manila and Beijing over ownership of Scarborough Shoal just off Zambales province.

The Chinese websites that fell prey to the latest wave of attacks from the Philippines include:
More variety
The defaced Chinese pages now seem to be more varied, with messages behind left by hackers ranging from a mere "aaaaaaaaaa hacker" to several sentences explaining why the website was hacked.
"The recent defacements occurred on certain Chinese websites were just a simple response to what happened to the UP site. You may continue bullying our country's waters but we will not tolerate you from intimidating our own cyber shores," one message said.
"Those defacements are just a mere response to what you have initially started. We are not trying to start anything. We are just trying to tell you that we do not want to be bullied in our own cyberspace too," it added.
"#OpChinaDown is not a threat. It will be a response. A response to future attacks within our cyberspace. We will leave our country's disputes to our government's hands. Yet this does not mean we will not support them. One Truth Prevails, Scarborough Shoal is ours," it said.

Baselines Law
Another defacement, perhaps the latest, says "In 2009, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo enacted the Philippine Baselines Law of 2009 (RA 9522). The new law classifies the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoal as a regime of islands under the Republic of the Philippines.  Chinese Government is clearly RETARDED."
A Facebook page administrator at the "PrivateX" hackers group said they have yet to reveal all of the websites that they have attacked. "Sana wala ng magpost ng mga naha-hack ng China baka sabihin ng IBA dyan LLAMADO ang China. Eh nananahimik na nga lang kami. Di pa sila nakakabawi sa dami ng pinost namin at ng mga taong sumuporta at maliban pa sa di namin pinopost. Salamat po."
The "Anonymous Butuan" administror, meanwhile, described the Chinese as "bullies."
"Defacing / hacking into some Chinese website isn't the only way to show our support against the Chinese bullies. Being aware is one of the greatest help we can get. Share the info, be aware, not for ourselves but for our country, the Philippines," said a post on the group's Facebook page.
Philippine science and technology officials earlier disowned the attacks made on Chinese websites, even as they warned that the "skirmishes in cyberspace" may worsen the dispute between Manila and Beijing over the ownership of Scarborough Shoal.

Source: Abs-Cbn News

Hot weather to end mid-May: PAGASA





MANILA, Philippines – Although the hot weather will remain until mid-May, the rainy season will also start soon, the state weather bureau said.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather forecaster Nikos Penaranda said the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ), or the thick clouds coming from the south of Asia, is now slowly moving up north and will eventually induce the southwest monsoon that will brings rains and storms to the country starting the third or last week of May.
He said best evidence of the looming rainy weather is the low pressure area that was recently spotted in Southern Mindanao.
“Kung naiinitan kayo at sinusumpa niyo, malapit niyo na ring sumpain ang mga bagyo at tag-ulan,” said Penaranda.
On Tuesday noon, some parts of Metro Manila, like Quezon City, experienced pockets of rain that Penaranda said are minor indications of the coming rainy season.
Several residents went out of their houses and took advantage of the rain that fell hard for about 30 minutes.
They said it was a welcome respite from the heat they have been experiencing for the past weeks.
“Sa panahon ngayon sobrang init, ngayon lang umulan unang araw pa ng Mayo,” a resident said.
“Sobrang init, para matanggal init, unang ulan eh,” said another resident.
PAGASA, however, said the rains only trickle for short periods of time.
“Dadalas, araw-araw may mga pulu-pulong pag-ulan pero hindi lahat uulanin,” Penaranda said.

Hotter days ahead
PAGASA said that for the next two weeks, the country should still brace itself for hotter days with temperatures that may even surpass 37 degrees Celcius.
“Kung hindi magbabago pattern, maabot natin ang 37, ang highest temperature dati ay May 4, ngayon april 30, most probably maabot natin 37 o baka higher pa,” said Marlyn Medina, chief meteorological officer.
Penaranda, for his part, doubts the possibility of thermometer readings reaching 38 degrees Celcius.
“Pwede umabot ng 37 point something, pero 30 mataas na po ‘yun, dahil inaasahan na ‘yung pagpasok ng ulan, maliit na po ang tsansa,” he said.
Metro Manila weather
In urban areas like Metro Manila, the feeling of heat is even greater than what their temperatures would say because of the environmental conditions that increase heat in certain areas.
“Sa Makati, pagnaglalakad ka sa bangketa, puro semento ‘yun, higit pa sa 36 degrees ‘yun, aabot ng 39 degrees kasi puro konkreto,” Penaranda said.
He also said concrete absorbs heat faster than any materials around.
He added that pollution produced from the emission of vehicles also contributes to a hotter weather at the National Capital Region.
“’Yung init imbes na nakakawala nata-trap siya sa area, nagiging mini-greenhouse area,” he said.
Other parts of Metro Manila did not experience rains on Tuesday but had cloudy skies most of the time that kept the heat at tolerable level.
Renato Barsagi and his neighbors were out on the street the whole afternoon trying to cool themselves with ice candy.
“Sobrang init, ‘di na kaya ng ibang tao, ‘yung iba nga naii-stroke eh. Eto ice candy na lang,” said Barsagi.

Temperature rising in PH
PAGASA also said global warming or climate change may also be a factor in the increasing heat experienced in the country.
The latest report published by the Asian Development Bank revealed that temperatures are rising in the Philippines.
The annual average temperature rose at a rate of 0.65 °C during 1951 to 2010, or an average of 0.0108 °C annually.
The rate of increase in temperature during the last 30 years (0.0164°C per year) is also faster than the long-term rate of increase.
The number of hot days and warm nights is increasing, and the number of cold days and cool nights is decreasing.
'No heat wave'
PAGASA, however, dispelled the notion of a heat wave in the country.
Penaranda said the heat wave by definition is consecutive days of hot weather with at least 3 degrees centigrade higher than the normal level.
For the Philippines to be considered under a heat wave, he said, the country must have 38 degrees or higher temperatures for three days or more.
Meanwhile, Luzon's water reservoir is already experiencing some depletion in water resources.
But the weather bureau said it is still far from reaching an alarming level.
Based on the latest figures, only San Roque Dam went below critical level with its reservoir posted at negative 3.58 meters.
Also on the brink is Ambuklao Dam with only 2.71 meters before getting into its critical level, while Pantabangan is at 2.27 meters.
Angat Dam, which supplies water to the NCR, is still far from being critical with still 14.04 meters before getting to that level, while Magat is at 13.26 meters and Binga at 9.86 meters before reaching an alarming level.
Penaranda said that since their models show that rainy season will be as early as mid-May, they don't expect the dams to run dry.

Source: Abs-cbn News

Monday, April 30, 2012

Petron Gasul, Solane Cut LPG Prices





MANILA, Philippines - Two companies on Monday said they will cut the prices of their liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) products on May 1.
Solane, formerly Shellane, will reduce the price of LPG by P5 per kilogram (VAT exclusive).
Petron Gasul will slash prices by P5.25 per kilogram (VAT exclusive), which translates to about a P65 decrease for every 11-kilogram household cylinder.
Petron Gasul will also roll back autoLPG prices by P3.29 per liter (VAT inclusive).

Source: Abs-Cbn News

Vice Ganda Chooses to Shrug Off Intrigues


MANILA, Phlippines – Comedian and television host Vice Ganda admitted he also gets affected by negative intrigues but said he prefers not to dwell on them and just move on with his life.


In an interview with ABS-CBN News on Sunday, Vice Ganda said he always believes something better will come after a storm.
“Sa bawat intriga, iniisip ko na lang na may kapalit na naman itong maganda. Kasi ganun ang nangyayari eh, kapag binato ka ng binato, iiyak ka lang ng konti tapos kinabukasan maganda na ang kapalit,” he said.

While he admitted that he had cried many times over his problems, Vice Ganda proudly said that his achievements prove that he also works hard.
“Ang mga pangyayari sa buhay ko ang pinakanagtatanggol sa akin, hindi tao. Katulad nito, ang tatanggapin ko ngayon, ito ang sasagot sa lahat ng mga binabato sa akin,” he said.
The Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Awards named Vice Ganda as Phenomenal Box Office Star and Male Concert Performer of the Year.

Vice Ganda's 2011 comedy film, "The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin" holds the record as the biggest local box office hit of all-time.

With a box office record under his belt, Vice Ganda said he feels pressured to do another hit movie in the future.
“Mape-pressure ako pero ayaw ko namang matakot,” he said.

Source: Abs-Cbn News

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