Ellen – Page 83 – ellen tordesillas

A celibate Kris Aquino as president will eradicate poverty in PH

Published by Ellen on January 16, 2014

Kris shares with Boy Abunda her theory about her success.

I cannot imagine the Philippines without Kris Aquino. It would be boring.

I want Kris Aquino for President.

Everybody talks about the need for out-of-the box solutions to the problem of poverty that is the lot of almost a third of the country’s 99 million population. Kris Aquino has found the solution: don’t have sex and you will be blessed with money beyond your dreams.

In an interview last Tuesday with best friend Boy Abunda in her classy all-white house, Aquino couldn’t contain her joy for all the blessings coming her way: the box-office success of the movie of her son, Bimby, even if critics said it was inane (one critic said it was “contempt for the audience”); a hefty new contract with ABS-CBN after she floated the rumor that she was considering the job offer of businessman Manny V. Pangilinan to head TV5; plus many more.

China’s smallest province plays big role in South China Sea claim

Published by Ellen on January 15, 2014

Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, back from a test mission in Hainan. — Liaoning, China’s first aircraft carrier, back from a test mission in Hainan.

Alarm bells rang again with the announcement last week by China that Hainan, its southernmost province, was implementing a Fishery Law that requires foreign fishing boats to get its approval when venturing into the South China Sea starting Jan. 1, 2014.

Hainan, with an area of 32,900 square kilometers, is China’s smallest province. Yet the Fishery Law, which China claims to have been adopted in 1993 and amended in 2008, puts under Hainan’s authority two million square kilometers of the vast South China Sea (estimate size is 3.5 million square kilometers), parts of it are also being claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Burnout

Published by Ellen on January 9, 2014

Regaling highschool students. — Regaling Miriam College highschool students.

President Aquino told an impressionable bunch of highschool students from Miriam College that he will not be putting on more pressure on his cabinet members concerned that they would suffer burnout.

This is what he said last Tuesday:

“The Cabinet is very hardworking, they’re very dedicated. You can’t ask anything more of them and perhaps I should learn to give them a little bit more breathing room. Baka naman ma-burn out lahat itong mga kasamahan natin sa gobyerno who actually do everything out of love of country. “

Burnout?

MVP’s intriguing Christmas Party remark about Secretary del Rosario

Published by Ellen on January 7, 2014

A happy President Aquino and Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario.

At the Christmas Party of Metro Pacific Investment Corporation last month at J.W. Marriott Hotel in Hongkong, the company’s chairman, Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP) made special mention of Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario saying, “he will soon be rejoining us in the private sector.”

MVP’s remark intrigued other guests who asked each other, “Why, is he resigning?”

(Del Rosario’s statement on this article released in Malacañang: “In my talks with my trusted friend Manny Pangilinan, in December, he is fully supportive of my decision to continue in public service for as long as the President wishes for me to do so.”)

Actually, del Rosario had resigned twice in his almost three years as foreign secretary. (He served as ambassador to the United States during the time of Gloria Arroyo.) The first was in June 2012 after the standoff with China at Scarborough Shoal (also known as Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag shoal) which brought into the picture, much to the resentment of del Rosario, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

Aquino for Binay for president in 2016?

Published by Ellen on January 5, 2014

There’s a compelling reason for President Aquino to make sure that that he would be able to influence the people’s choice of his successor otherwise he would suffer the same fate that befell the two presidents before him.

His predecessor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, is in jail – hospital arrest, actually- facing plunder and electoral sabotage charges.
Arroyo’s predecessor, Joseph Estrada, spent six years in detention- much of it under house arrest – for plunder. Convicted, he was later pardoned. He nearly made a comeback as president in 2010, placing second to Aquino. He is now mayor of the city of Manila.

Surely, Aquino knows that in his position, it’s not a matter of good intentions as his “Tuwid na Daan” slogan trumpets. As president, he makes decisions, sometimes resorting to legal brinkmanship. Example is the Disbursement Acceleration Program, the legality of which is being questioned in the Supreme Court.

A lovely New Year even with Yolanda!

Published by Ellen on January 2, 2014

Yolanda was very much in our mind as we bid goodbye to 2013 and welcomed 2014.

Our place in Guisijan, Laua-an, Antique was one of those hit by Yolanda. Not as bad as Leyte and Samar but there was still a lot of repairing and fixing to do.

My mother's langka tree was no match to Yolanda's fury. — My mother’s langka tree was no match to Yolanda’s fury.

Makahulugang pasko para sa lahat!

Published by Ellen on December 24, 2013

As we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ in the midst of trials and challenges, let’s take the examples shown by these children of supporting each other when they only have themselves to turn to:

Girl baby sitting a baby while in school. Maybe the parents are working and there's no one to take care of the baby. — Girl baby sitting a sibling while in school. Maybe the parents are working and there’s no one to take care of the baby.

I'm not sure of teh nationalities of these children. But their caring fro each other is heart-rending. — I’m not sure of the nationalities of these children. But their caring for each other is touching.

December in the life of the De Venecias

Published by Ellen on December 22, 2013

. Rep. Gina de Venecia talks to survivor Michael Abadia of Palo Leyte, who lost his entire family, his wife and five children when typhoon Yolanda struck. At the background are Rep. Victoria Noel and another victim, Wilma Castillote who also lost a child. — Rep. Gina de Venecia talks to survivor Michael Abadia of Palo Leyte, who lost his entire family, his wife and five children when typhoon Yolanda struck. At the background are Rep. Victoria Noel and another victim, Wilma Castillote who also lost a child.

December 26 is the birthday of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, who is now sporting an arm sling after he figured in an accident at his relative’s house in San Francisco, California last month. He stepped on a hose in the garden and fell to the ground fracturing his shoulder and harming his knees. His doctors advised him against undertaking long-haul travels in the next two to three months.

The accident compelled the peripatetic JDV to forgo attendance in the meeting of the standing committee of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties in Ankara, Turkey last Nov. 21 and 22.

JDV co-founded ICAPP, a forum of political parties of various ideologies among countries in Asia-Oceania to promote exchanges and cooperation; enhance understanding, and create an environment for sustained peace and shared prosperity in the region.

Will PH be ready for Asean 2015 when we can’t do simple things right

Published by Ellen on December 15, 2013

What I’m relating is not a life-and-death matter but it shows why we are lagging behind with some of our Southeast Asian neighbors.

When the Jetstar plane I took from Singapore touched down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport about 10 in the morning yesterday, I realized I haven’t filled up the Immigration and Customs Declaration forms that are usually distributed on the plane. I asked fellow passengers if the flight stewardess had distributed the forms while many of us were asleep and they replied, “None.”

When we got to the area before the Immigration Counter, we were told the forms were on the stands on both side of the room occupied by passengers dutifully filling up the form.

Dapat ayusin muna ni Pacquiao ang laban niya sa BIR at IRS

Published by Ellen on December 15, 2013

Understandable for Pacquaio to seek divine intervention with his tax problems.

Kawawa naman itong si Manny Pacquiao.

Kapag hindi niya malusutaan itong problema niya sa buwis, hindi lamang sa Pilipinas kung di sa America rin, magre-retire pa lang siyang libing sa utang.

Sa dami ng bugbug na natamo niya, utang lang ang bagsak niya. Kawawa naman.

Author: Ellen