Category Archives: Travel

PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL JEJOMAR BINAY PROMISES TO BRING GOVERNMENT CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE

Boracay's white sandy beach
Boracay’s white sandy beach

Manila, Philippines – The next Philippine presidential election will not happen until 2016 but already, incumbent Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay has made clear his intention to run for the top position in this nation of almost 100 Million people.

In fact, Binay has already finalized his campaign meme which he will officially launch in June this year. The meme? “Bring the government closer to the people, but away from the maddening crowd (read: Manila’s traffic nightmare).

Pressed by The Adobo Chronicles to provide a concrete example on how he plans to pursue this campaign promise, Binay said that his first official act as president would be to transfer Malacañang, the official residence of the Philippine president, from its current location in Manila to Boracay Resort in Central Philippines.

Philippine Vice President Jojo Binay
Philippine Vice President Jojo Binay

Boracay is a world-famous beach town considered one of the best, if not the best in the world.  Few beaches can compare to Boracay’s immaculate white sand.

Binay said Boracay makes the most sense as the center of government because it is in the center of the Philippines. He added that Boracay is traffic-free and would enable the president to move around efficiently without the need for “wang wang.” “Wang wang” is the term used by Filipinos to refer to sirens used by government officials in their limousines to help get through congested traffic.

Binay also said that Boracay is the ideal place for the president to host foreign leaders and dignitaries because of its breath-taking views and world-class accommodations. The vice president is finalizing plans to build an international airport in Boracay to be named “The Binay Family International Airport.”

Binay’s political dynasty includes son Junjun who is mayor of Makati City and daughters Nancy and Abigail, senator and congresswoman, respectively.

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FILIPINOS GATHERING IN FRONT OF THE U.S. EMBASSY IN MANILA

Aerial view of Roxas Boulevard in front of the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines
Aerial view of Roxas Boulevard in front of the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines

Manila, Philippines – The U.S. ambassador to the Philippines may be in deep trouble.

On Saturday, Ambassador Philip Goldberg encouraged Filipinos to travel to the U.S., saying the visa application process is relatively “easy.”

“The majority of people who apply are approved for visas. It’s rather a standard and very easy process.  You make an appointment, you go in, you have an interview and as long as you are a stable resident of the Philippines, you’re going to get the visa and you enjoy the United States,” Goldberg told reporters at the U.S. Embassy’s road show at a mall in Pasay City.image

Soon after he made this statement, Filipinos started lining up in front of the U.S. Embassy on Roxas Boulevard and by noon Sunday, police authorities estimated the crowd at 500,000. Independent media reports say that the crowd may swell to one million by the time the Embassy offices open at 8:00 a.m. on Monday.

Manila mayor Joseph Estrada said the city has not seen a crowd this big since last year’s Million People March which was organized to protest the pork barrel scandal that rocked the Philippine government.

U.S. Secretary of State John  Kerry is scheduled to fly to Manila later today to meet with Goldberg and deal with this developing situation.

ARIZONA GOVERNOR JAN BREWER WILL BE GRAND MARSHALL IN SAN FRANCISCO’S 2014 GAY PRIDE PARADE

imageSan Francisco, California – San Francisco’s Gay Pride Parade, the largest such celebration in the world, has just identified its Grand Marshall for 2014. It’s no other than Arizona Governor Jan Brewer.

The SF Pride Committee met in an executive session today following Brewer’s announcement that she was vetoing Arizona’s Senate Bill 1062 which would have legalized discrimination against lgbt people on the grounds of religious rights.

Soon after she vetoed the bill, U.S. media outlets – recovering from a slow news day today – flashed the news report on their websites, news alerts and live broadcasts. The social media also burst with posts, even among self-identified gay men and women, praising Brewer for her act of courage.

The Pride Committee said that no other act by an individual merits the honor of being named Grand Marshall . “We might even double the parade attendance by the potential of Arizona residents coming to San Francisco in June to support their well-loved governor,” the committee said.

Upon hearing about the Pride Committee’s decision, the National Coalition of Gay Immigrant Associations ( NCGIA) annouunced that it will boycott the SF Pride Parade this year, citing Brewer’s anti-immigrant record. She signed into law  Arizona’s SB 1070, the most stringent anti-immigrant law in the country.