Business, Government, International, Tourism

Philippines Voids Building Permit Of Trump Tower In Makati City

August 8, 2016 Pol Pinoy 7 Comments

A rendering of the Trump Tower in Makati City, Philippines

MAKATI CITY, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – When completed by the end of 2016, the Trump Tower in the Philippines will be among the country’s tallest buildings. But the Trump name may disappear from this upscale residential building.

Launched in 2012, Trump Tower is a joint venture between Century Properties and the Trump Organization. It will be managed by Century Properties Management Inc. To rise at 250 meters above ground, the 56-story building is designed by award-winning international architectural firm Broadway Malyan.

“It’s really just an iconic, modern building, very tall, very chic, something that really symbolizes everything that a Trump project means,” said Eric Trump, son of Donald, and executive vice president of development and acquisition.

It is located at the corner of Kalayaan Avenue and Salamanca Street in Makati City.

But today, Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte issued an executive order canceling the building permit of the Trump Tower.

Duterte called Donald Trump and his organization “persona non grata” for the Republican presidential candidate’s recent comments about the Philippines.

It will be recalled that in one of his campaign speeches, Trump lumped the Philippines with other countries with terrorism links, calling for the banning Filipinos from immigrating to the United States. Duterte even challenged Trump to a fist fight.

“If we, Filipinos, are not welcome in the United States, why would we welcome Trump in the Philippines,” Duterte said.

Asked by The Adobo Chronicles what the Philippine government plans to do with the Trump Tower, Duterte replied, “I will make it a rehabilitation center for the more than half a million Filipino drug users who surrendered as part of my war on drugs.”

Touché!

Religion, Social Media

Will Cory And NoyNoy Aquino Be The First Mother-and-Son Saints?

August 7, 2016 Pol Pinoy 2 Comments

Cory, top; NoyNoy, bottom (Photo: Internet grab)

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – If a Jesuit priest close to the family of Cory Aquino had his way, the late president would become the Philippines’ third Filipino saint.

The priest, Fr. Catalino Arevalo, sees no problem with starting the beatification process for Cory since she was a person with “extraordinary Christian virtues.” As per rules of the Catholic Church, beatification can only begin six years after a person’s death. Cory died of colon cancer in August 2009.

Today, Fr. Arevalo told The Adobo Chronicles that he is also planning to start working on having NoyNoy Aquino become the fourth Filipino saint, citing the ex-president’s noble crusade under “daang matuwid.” Under PNoy’s administration, he has managed to eliminate all political and social evils that have plagued the country for many decades, Fr. Arevalo said.

“It is best to start laying the groundwork for PNoy’s beatification while he still alive so that when the time comes, the long and tedious sainthood process can be fast-tracked,” Arevalo added.

If both Cory and NoyNoy become saints, they will be the very first mother and son ever in the history of the Roman Catholic Church to be accorded the extraordinary and divine honor, not only for themselves, but for the entire Filipino nation.

The Philippines’ two saints are Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod.

Media, Politics

TIME Can’t Wait, Names Donald Trump 2016 Person Of The Year

August 6, 2016 Pol Pinoy 1 Comment

NEW YORK, New York (The Adobo Chronicles, Washington Bureau) – It’s only early August but two major newspapers — The Houston Chronicle and The San Francisco Chronicle — already made their endorsement for November’s U.S. presidential elections. Both papers endorsed Hillary Clinton.

Not to be outdone, TIME magazine announced today that it was naming Donald Trump its 2016 Person of the Year. The New York-based magazine usually makes its announcement in December.

The Adobo Chronicles spoke with TIME editors who said that they could not wait till the end of the year.

“We don’t think there will be any other person who can overshadow what Trump has done this year,” they said. “We have never seen any one who has had tremendous and outrageous influence on the news — ever. Trump says something nice and he’s in the news; he says something ridiculous, and he’s in the news.”

Readers will notice that the magazine cover naming Trump as Person of the Year has no issue date. “That’s intentional,” the editors said. “We will keep re-using the cover for the rest of our weekly issues until election day. If he wins the election, it will be the cover of our magazine until his inauguration day in January next year.”