Category Archives: Government

Government, International, Music, Tourism

NEWEST PHILIPPINES’ TOURISM CAMPAIGN FEATURES IMELDA MARCOS AND SURVIVING BEATLES

Leave a comment
Ringo, Imelda, and Paul
Ringo, Imelda, and Paul

MANILA, Philippines ( The Adobo Chronicles) – ‘Give Peace A Chance.’ That’s the theme of the newest campaign by the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) to promote tourism to this peace-loving nation of 100 Million people.

The campaign will be officially launched on July 4 this year with a grand ‘reunion’ among former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos and the surviving Beatles Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney.  The launch date happens to mark the 49th anniversary of the Beatles’ first and only visit to the Philippines.

Forty-nine years ago, the Beatles arrived in Manila for two sold-our concerts, considered the Liverpool band’s most attended live performance ever.

But the euphoria that met Paul, John, George and Ringo immediately turned sour when the quartet failed to show up at a reception arranged by Marcos at Malacañang, the presidential palace. Marcos complained that she was stood up, but the Beatles have always maintained that no one ever told them about the scheduled visit. The media and the Filipinos rallied behind Marcos, resulting in an ugly send-off for the Beatles who vowed never to return to the country.

The DOT campaign hopes to inspire people around the world to visit the Philippines this year as the Aquino government continues to negotiate with Muslim separatists  for peace and unity.

The historic July 4th meeting between Imelda and the surviving Beatles will be held during a musical concert at the Philippine Arena, considered to be the world’s largest indoor arena. It is owned by Iglesia Ni Kristo (Church of Christ), the second largest religious denomination in the Philippines, next to the Catholic Church.

‘Give Peace A Chance’ happens to be a song composed by another Beatle, John Lennon. It has been, and continues to be, a favorite theme song for peace movements all over the world.

Government, Sports, Travel

PHILIPPINES’ CONGRESS DECLARES WEEK-LONG RECESS FOR PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER FIGHT

Leave a comment
Member of Philippine Congress with Pacquiao (Photo: www.rapler.com)
Members of Philippine Congress with Pacquiao (Photo: http://www.rapler.com)

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – It is pretty much a given that whenever Manny Pacquiao has a scheduled fight, the Philippines comes to a stand still.

The Philippine military and the rebel groups declare a ceasefire, crime rate drops to zero, and road traffic becomes nonexistent.

The May 2nd (May 3 in the Philippines) championship fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is no exception… and more.

President NoyNoy Aquino has declared May 3rd a National (nonworking) Holiday, and the House of Representatives will go on a 7-day recess, from April 28 to May 3rd.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. told The Adobo Chronicles that he had no choice but to declare a recess because “there’s just not going to be a quorum to be able to conduct official business.”

More than two-thirds of the 290-member House of Representatives will be flying to Las Vegas to be at ringside to support their esteemed colleague.  Pacquiao is an elected representative from his native province of Sarangani.  How they got their tickets and who’s paying for them were not exactly clear.

It is not uncommon for Pacquiao to charter a passenger plane so that his family, colleagues and selected fans can attend his fight in person.

Congress resumes its regular session on May 4th, although many expect that majority of members will be absent, as they will still be dealing with jet lag from the almost 18-hour flight from Las Vegas to Manila.

Government, Law Enforcement, Social Media, The Media

TWEETING OR REPOSTING NEWS SATIRE IS NOW A CRIME IN THE PHILIPPINES

Leave a comment
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is an avid fan of The Adobo Chronicles
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is an avid fan of The Adobo Chronicles

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – If you live in the Philippines and are reading this story, be forewarned that re-posting it on your Facebook or Instagram account or re-tweeting it is now a crime, punishable by fine and jail time.

Tired of being constantly criticized by The Adobo Chronicles, So What’s News (SWN), The Professional Heckler, Mosquito Press  and many others, President NoyNoy Aquino, with full support from the Senate and the House of Representatives, issued an Executive Order banning re-tweets and re-posts of satirical articles.

The Philippines’ Department of Justice (DOJ) is currently reviewing international laws on Free Speech to see if international sites like The Onion, The Borowitz Report and The Daily Currant, can also be banned from Philippine social media.

The idea for the Executive Order actually came from Turkey.

Recently, a provincial court in Turkey sentenced a college student, Meral Tutcali, to one year in prison for the offense of “insulting a public official” by sharing a satirical news story about a regional governor on Twitter.

The trial was held in Adana, a southern Turkish province, after a complaint by the region’s governor, Huseyin Avni Cos, who discovered last year that he had been mocked in a photograph and headline on Zaytung, a Turkish site akin to The Onion.