Nissan mulls assembly of new model in PH

By Louella D. Desiderio, The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - The local unit of Japanese firm Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. is conducting a study on the assembly of a new vehicle model in the Philippines following the release of the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) Program.
“With the CARS Program coming out... we are going through that study phase and if it comes out beneficial to build new models in the Philippines, then investment will not be an issue,” Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) president and managing director Antonio Zara told reporters at the launch of the NV350 Urvan yesterday.

The 200,000 volume of production requirement over a period of six years under the CARS Program, however, will be difficult for the company to meet.
“For a brand like Nissan, we will have to consider not just domestic demand. We will have to consider export,” Zara said.
He noted exports would still be a challenge for the company given Nissan’s strong manufacturing operations in markets like Thailand and Indonesia.
“It will be challenging for us to compete in economies of scale with those countries...We have to define our niche,” he said.
Executive Order 182 or the CARS Program approved by President Aquino on May 29, seeks to support the assembly of three vehicle models by providing incentives in the form of tax payment certificates to firms which meet investment and production volume requirements.
NPI’s Almera and Patrol Safari are currently assembled locally.
While the previous generation of the Urvan was also produced in the country, the company decided to shift to imports from Japan for the new generation to provide the best value to customers.
With the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement in place, the company can import the Urvan from Japan at zero tariff, removing the duty differential which reached around 40 percent earlier.
As the Urvan is the most popular nameplate for NPI, holding the second biggest share or 36.7 percent of the local van market, Zara said the aim of the company is to maintain if not further grow its share for the latest generation.
The new Urvan which is suitable for family use and public transport features an upgraded engine, improved air-conditioning and redesigned interior space for passenger ride comfort.
The van which will be available starting June 15, has the following configurations and pricing: 15-seater (P1.183 million); 18-seater (P1.196 million) and three-seater cargo (P1.177 million).
Those using the new Urvan as a registered public utility vehicle will get to enjoy three-year manufacturer’s warranty at no additional cost.
Read more on The Philippine Star.

LOOK: Google Doodle marks PH Independence Day

MANILA -Google has created a special doodle on Friday to mark the Philippines' 117th year of independence.
This year’s Independence Day doodle on the Google.com.ph homepage depicts the Philippine flag with the sun and three stars standing for one “O” of the company’s logo. The letters also make use of the colors of the flag.
Clicking on the doodle will lead users to more information about the history of Philippine independence.
Google has been making doodles to celebrate the Philippine Independence Day since 2009.
A “doodle” is a decorative change made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, scientists, and leaders.

Binay on PNoy non-endorsement: Galangin natin

ABS-CBNnews.com

MANILA - Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday said he respects the response of President Benigno Aquino III on his earlier statement that he is hoping to get the endorsement of the President for the 2016 elections.

Binay, who has long expressed his intent to run for president in next year's polls, said in a media forum Wednesday that he remains hopeful he will be endorsed by Aquino.
Aquino, however, seemed to have rejected the possibility. He pointed out that Binay has always been with a different party since the 2010 polls.
"Siguro hindi klaro kasi. Hinahanap ba niya ang suporta ko kasi 2010 ibang grupo siya tumakbo. 2013 nanguna din siya ng ibang grupo. Tapos pagdating sa 2016, magkasama kami? Parang patungo pa lang siya sa amin, parang ang layo ng kurba para makarating," the President said Thursday.
"Even in this point, presumptuous ako sa hinahanap niyang pagsuporta. Yung mga ginawa niyang pagtakbo nung 2010 or 2013 eh iba naman talagang partido at grupo ang sinamahan niya. So parang sinasabi ngayon hinihintay niya yung endorsement ko eh hindi naman niya hiningi, di ba parang - may phrase yung panahon ng mga magulang ko, adelantado. I am presuming too much that he wants my support."
The President added that what he can promise any candidate is clean and credible elections next year.
According to Binay, who led the Independence Day celebration in Luneta, Manila along with Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada on Friday, he respects the statements given by Aquino.
"Nasabi na ni Pangulo, galangin natin. Yun ang pagkakasabi ni Pangulo," Binay told reporters. "Wala na, tapos na yun. May sinagot na si Pangulo."
Meanwhile, Binay only answered "okay lang" when asked to react on Senator Grace Poe's statement that if she becomes president, she will not grant Binay presidential pardon if the corruption allegations him lead to his conviction.
"Any president in office--after this president [Aquino]--who pardons them will lose his or her legitimacy," said Poe, referring to Binay, his son Makati Mayor Junjun Binay and other individuals facing plunder and graft charges over the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall Building 2.
"I don't think people will be confident in that administration. And even if let's say -- he (Binay) is one of them -- he wins and he actually assumes office, and he pardons the others, I think he will start with the wrong foot and I don't think that administration will last," she added.

WATCH: Tour Yeng, husband's 'love nest'

Video by: ABS-CBN News channel!

Singer and "The Voice Kids Philippines" host Yeng Constantino showed off her new house on Sunday's episode of "Rated K."

Constantino revealed that she and her husband, Yan Asuncion, personally picked all their furniture. - Rated K, 7 June 2015

Filipinos in S. Korea urged to guard against MERS-CoV

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reminded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in South Korea to take the necessary precautions against the dreaded Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) after South Korean nationals had been infected with the disease.

In his Twitter account, POEA chief Hans Leo Cacdac posted a list of things that Filipinos in South Korea should do to avoid contracting the disease:

• Always practice proper hand hygiene by washing your hands with soap or alcohol hand rubs.

• Practice proper cough etiquette. Use a tissue when coughing or sneezing and cover your mouth and nose with it. Dispose of the tissue in a waste basket.

• Avoid contact with persons sick or infected with MERS-CoV. If you have a respiratory illness, stay home and wear a surgical mask to protect your family.

• Visit your doctor, a hospital or health facility immediately if symptoms of MERS-CoV manifest itself, including persistent coughing and other symptoms.

So far, there have been four deaths and 50 cases of MERS-CoV reported in South Korea.

4 M Pinoys fall victim to human trafficking

By Edu Punay, The Philippine Star

MANILA - Human trafficking remains to be a serious problem in the country, victimizing 450,000 Filipinos every year, a non-government organization said yesterday.
Call to Rescue, a group dedicated to preventing human trafficking and rescuing its victims, said women and children who are abandoned are being targeted by international syndicates involved in human trafficking because they easily fall into their traps.

“We have around 450,000 Filipinos who fall prey to human traffickers every year precisely because we have a lot of vulnerable women and children in the country,” television host-entrepreneur Anthony Pangilinan, head of the organization, said.
Pangilinan said the transnational crime continues to be widespread because of the economic condition as well as the lack of proper parental guidance to children.
He said the abandoned women and children, who come from broken or dysfunctional families, lack parental guidance or have no strong support from friends and family are being targeted by international syndicates.
“Some are recruited in public places, streets, bars, restaurants, through social media. Many are abducted while some are sweet-talked. They promise them some form of escape from their problems and that starts their journey towards being trafficked for sex and prostitution or hard labor. Many victims are forced into sham marriages where they are held as prisoners so they could provide children to their so-called husbands and are subjected to all kinds of abuse,” Pangilinan said.
He added even those belonging to the middle and upper economic classes have also been victimized into human trafficking.
“Human trafficking does not only happen to those who need money but those who have it. They are vulnerable because syndicates would pay for victims who come from well-off families so kidnapping now is not only for ransom but also for trafficking. Some would be victimized because they have personal or family problems and so they find their way into syndicates,” Pangilinan said.
The best way to fight trafficking, according to Pangilinan, is to have solid support from the family and strong law enforcement to arrest syndicate members.
More on Philippine Star.

Palace to Pinoys in SoKor: Heed advisories on MERS-CoV

By Alexis Romero, The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang yesterday reminded Filipinos in South Korea to heed the advisories of authorities on the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), a viral respiratory illness first reported in Saudi Arabia.

“We urge all Filipinos in South Korea to take all necessary precautions against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, considering reports that a number of South Koreans were found to have been infected by the disease,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma told government radio station dzRB.
“Although there is no outbreak of MERS-CoV, our Philippine embassy in Seoul had issued an advisory regarding preventive measures that should be taken by Filipinos while in South Korea,” he added.
Coloma said such precautionary measures include proper hand hygiene and avoiding contact with farm and domesticated animals. He also stressed the need for health workers to strictly follow infection control protocols and comply with local health regulations.
“The government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, continues to monitor the situation in South Korea closely,” he said.
The symptoms of MERS-CoV include fever, cough, shortness of breath, breathing difficulty and diarrhea, according to the health department.
Five persons have died and 64 others in South Korea have been affected by the virus, according to latest reports.
There are about 40,000 Filipinos in South Korea.
Read more on Philippine Star.

ECCP pushes tax reforms to boost PH competitiveness

By Louella D. Desiderio, The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - A group of European businessmen with operations in the Philippines is pushing for adjustments on the tax system to make the country competitive in the region.
In a statement yesterday, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) president Michael Raeuber said the Philippine government needs to adjust the tax rate imposed on individuals and companies to ensure the country’s competitiveness.

“We have to bring the Philippines forward. The government now has limited time to approve economic legislation and institute reforms. If we do not address the issue now, companies will be going to Vietnam and not here,” he said.
While the ECCP has been encouraging European businesses to set up shop in the Philippines, he said the country must offer the right set of incentives and tax system to be an attractive and competitive location for investments.
Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo who also chairs the ways and means committee at the House of Representatives is considered an ally of the ECCP in pushing for adjustments on the tax system as the official shares the group’s view of the Philippines being a costlier place for investments compared to its peers in Southeast Asia.
“The cost of doing business in the Philippines is higher than in competing countries in the region. With ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) integration starting soon, it makes good economic sense to completely overhaul our corporate and individual income taxes in order to be competitive,” Quimbo said.
The Philippines imposes the highest tax rate of 32 percent on incomes of individuals among countries in the ASEAN.
The country’s tax bracket rates have been in place since 1997 with 86 percent of income taxes being shouldered by only 16 percent of the population.
As the country wants to attract more foreign investments particularly in agriculture and manufacturing, Quimbo said changes in the tax system would be necessary to achieve the government’s goal of making economic growth inclusive.
At present, there are proposals in the House of Representatives to adjust income tax brackets to inflation.
There are also proposals seeking to reduce the corporate income tax rate to 25 percent from 30 percent.
Read more on the Philippine Star.

PNoy walang balak tumakbo sa 2016

Walang balak si Pangulong Benigno Aquino III na tumakbo sa mas mababang posisyon sa gobyerno, na sabi niya'y ideya ng ilan niyang mga tagasuporta. File photo

MANILA, Philippines - Hindi tatakbo si Pangulong Benigno Aquino III sa mas mababang puwesto sa gobyerno sa 2016.

"Can I just clarify? I have no intentions of running for any position. Nasa newscaps ko kanina kasi 'yon—that I hinted I might run," paglilinaw ni PNoy ilang Pilipinong mamamahayag ngayong araw, Biyernes sa Tokyo, Japan kung saan siya nagkaroon ng state visit.

Aniya, ang ideya na tumakbo sa mas mababang posisyo ay nagmula sa ilan niyang tagasuporta matapos niyang tumanggi na palawigin ang kanyang termino.

"Nang naging malinaw po sa kanilang hindi ako sang-ayon na baguhin ang Saligang Batas para pahabain ang termino ko, ang naging bagong version po ng tanong ay ganito po: Baka raw po gusto kong tumakbo sa ibang puwesto," paliwanag niya.

"Ang totoo po yatang ibig nilang sabihin, 'Tumakbo ka sa ibang puwesto, dahil mabuti nang nandiyan ka para manguna ka ulit kung kakailanganin namin ang iyong tulong," pagdadagdag niya.

Sa huli, hinimok ni PNoy ang mga botante na maging maingat sa pagpili ng mga iluluklok nila sa termino eleksyon 2016.

PSN ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch:

Wika niya, "magyu-U-Turn ba tayo pabalik sa baluktot na daan? O itutuloy natin ang pag-arangkada sa Daang Matuwid? Nasa kamay ng mamamayan ang patutunguhan ng Pilipinas."

Marco Sison shares how OPM can recover its glory

By Yong Chavez, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau

CALIFORNIA – Marco Sison, one of the most well-known voices of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) during its heyday in the '80s, said there's a big hole in the Philippine music industry and not because there's a lack of talented singers.
"Kasi siguro may shortage ng composers. In the '80s kasi may yearly competition ng composers, amateur and professionals, yung Metropop, at dun nafe-feature yung mga aspiring composers at dun nga lumabas sina Vehnee Saturno. Sana magkaron ulit ng ganun para yung mga composers, kasi hindi rin nila alam kung paano nila ipe-present ang mga kanta nila," said Sison.

The Manila-based singer is a US green card holder and regularly visits California where two of his children go to school.
The other two are staying with him now in the Philippines while pursuing their own showbiz careers.
The singer said his next tour with fellow OPM icons is tentatively set for September, hopefully when Rico Puno has fully recovered from his heart surgery.
"Si Rico is recuperating right now, so yung mga prayers nyo po is kailangang-kailangan ni pareng Rico para mabilis ang kanyang pag-galing," he said.
Before going back to Manila, Sison staged an intimate show for Filipinos in southern California to promote his latest cd, "Isang Pagkakataon."
Read more on Balitang America.

Pinay crowned Miss Teenage Winnipeg 2015

By Rhia Alcantara, ABS-CBN News North America Bureau

WINNIPEG, Canada - Mikaela Abraham Mendez brought pride to the Filipino community, besting 16 candidates from all over Manitoba as she bagged the 2015 provincial title of Miss Teenage Winnipeg.
It was a sweet and humbling victory for the 17-year-old Filipina who never joined a pageant in the past.
"I wasn't really looking to win just making new friends and just getting the whole experience but when they called my name I was numb. I was definitely surprised. I was overjoyed. It was a very good feeling because it showed that my hard work has definitely paid off," Mendez said.
Mendez will vie for the Miss Teenage Canada title in Toronto this August to become Canada's next beauty and goodwill ambassador.
She wants to use the opportunity to highlight an issue close to her heart.
"The platform that I chose was poverty because I believe that there is not enough awareness in our society and I wanted to make the change. I just want to be a good role model to -- especially my siblings -- I wanted to show them that if your heart is set to something then it never hurts to go for it and if you lose, you lose, and if you win it only opens so many more doors," she said.
Mendez, who was born and raised in Winnipeg, has always had a winning attitude in life, her parents said.
"Ever since Mikaela was a little girl she has always been motivated and determined and always worked for what she wanted," said her mother, Jackie Mendez.
"She grew up with very high grades up until now through high school she has been an honor roll she has always lead by example."

"We’re so proud of having her crowned as Miss Teen Winnipeg, and being the only Filipina in the pageant – we're so proud,” said Jairemaine Mendez, Mikaela’s father.
Read more on Balitang America:

Yahoo shuts down Philippine homepage

by Reuters, ABS-CBNnews.com

Yahoo Inc said it was shutting down a few of its services, including Yahoo Maps, as it realigns itself to focus on search and digital content.

Maps.yahoo.com will shut down by the end of this month, Amotz Maimon, Yahoo's chief architect, said in a blog post, as the service faces intense competition from Google Inc's Maps service.

Yahoo's search and other services including photo-sharing website Flickr will still support Yahoo Maps, Maimon said.

These steps follow efforts by Chief Executive Marissa Mayer to revive meaningful revenue growth with a string of acquisitions and product revamps.

Mayer has been under pressure to make quicker progress in strengthening the company's media and advertising business.

Yahoo is scaling back mail support on the built-in Mail app for older versions of Apple Inc's iPhone operating system, Maimon said on Thursday.

Yahoo said the Philippines homepage would be shuttered. It will also close Yahoo Music services in France and Canada and Yahoo Movies in Spain.

Media services such as Yahoo TV and Yahoo Autos will be stopped in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy at the end of June.