Category Archives: Politics

KRIS AQUINO GETS FAILING GRADE IN FILIPINO LANGUAGE; PRESIDENT AQUINO GETS FAILING GRADE FROM U.N.

Kris and NoyNoy Aquino
Kris and NoyNoy Aquino

NEW YORK, New York (The Adobo Chronicles® ) –  Yesterday, we reported that presidential sister and television host Kris Aquino admitted getting a failing grade in Filipino language during her school days in Manila.

Things always seem to come in two’s.

Today, the United Nations gave her brother President NoyNoy Aquino a failing grade in connection with housing relief for thousands of people made homeless by typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) nearly two years ago.

Haiyan, the strongest-ever storm to make landfall in the Philippines, killed more than 6,300 people and displaced 4.1 million in 2013.yolanda

“Many families remain housed in collective ‘bunkhouses’ that do not meet necessary minimum standards for the provision of basic needs and services,” Chaloka Beyani, U.N. special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, said in a news conference in Manila. “I was concerned to learn that funding shortfalls and political challenges, including inadequate cooperation between national and local governments, are delaying processes towards achieving durable solutions.”

Official government records obtained by Reuters showed only 2.5 percent of the targeted 21,012 permanent housing in the worst-hit Eastern Visayas region were ready as of June. The National Housing Authority reported only 542 houses were completed.

About 4,900 houses are in different phases of construction. In two towns on Samar island and six towns on Leyte island, not a single house had been built 20 months after the typhoon struck.

Aquino’s failing grade is in sharp contrast to the laundry list of “accomplishments” he touted during his State of the National Address earlier this week.

We wonder who Aquino is going to blame for his failing grade this time around.

BINAY, ROXAS, UNVEIL PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN FREEBIES

Roxas, left, and Binay
Roxas, left, and Binay

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles®) – Now that Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino has all but confirmed he will anoint Interior and Local Governments Secretary Mar Roxas as his choice of successor, the unofficial 2016 political campaign for president is in full swing!

What would a Philippine political campaign be without the usual freebies to entice voters to support the respective party candidates?

Opposition party candidate Vice President Jojo Binay is way ahead of his rival. He has been giving away cell phones to supporters.  But he is upping the ante this time around and has switched from a basic Android cell phone to an Apple iPhone (see photo).FullSizeRender (67)

Roxas may not have as much money as Binay to be able to afford a matching expensive freebie, but at least he is keeping true to the campaign theme of  austerity and “Ituloy And Daang Matuwid” (Continue the Straight Path).  So he chose a simple freebie that he hopes will appeal to the greater masses of  people — the tsinelas (flip flops).

It wouldn’t cost  a whole lot for Roxas to make the tsinelas his campaign give-away.  His wife, broadcaster Korina Sanchez, has a huge leftover inventory from a previous campaign promoting her television program, “Rated K”.  And it is the perfect color symbolizing Roxas’ Liberal Party: yellow!

FullSizeRender (66)

REVISED: PHILIPPINE SONA’S BEST-DRESSED

Robredo at the Blue Carpet
Robredo at the Blue Carpet

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – Yesterday, we announced our choice for the best and worst-dressed at the State of the Nation Address (SONA) red carpet ceremonies held last Monday . We named Senator Nancy Binay the best-dressed and Senator Loren Legarda the worst.

Based on new information we just received, we have revised our choice for best-dressed.  The award now goes to Representative Leni Robredo, widow of the late  Interior and Local Governments Secretary Jesse Robredo.image

We arrived at our new choice after we found out that Robredo sneaked out of the red carpet and used the back stairway to get into the assembly hall. A photographer caught the great escape and the photo has now gone viral on social media.

We understand that the red carpet-shy Robredo has been doing this for three years in a row now, except that this hear, she was caught in the act.

We congratulate Robredo for this honor.