Tag Archives: Philippines

Business, International, Politics, Technology, The Media, Travel

TOP TEN THINGS YOU’LL NEED UPON LANDING AT NINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

May 26, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – The murdered Filipino opposition leader must be turning and twisting in his grave as the international airport named after him has gained the reputation as the worst in the world. Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has been the subject of ridicule in recent months not only for overcrowding, confusing signage or lack thereof, clueless airport personnel, and most of all, non-functioning airconditioning units.

As of press time, new airconditioning units have reportedly arrived but it is no guarantee that incoming and outgoing passengers will keep their cool.

As a stop-gap measure, the Philippines’ Airports Authority issued a travel advisory recommending the top ten things traveling passengers will need upon disembarkation:

1. Anahaw (wicker) fans. They’re relatively inexpensive. Foreigners can easily borrow these from their Filipino friends and neighbors. They are also sold at NAIA concession stands.

2. If you want to go high tech, you can purchase battery-operated personal fans from almost every mall in America and elsewhere.

3. Cotton towel, to wipe your sweat and keep you dry at all times, especially while in line at the immigration, customs and baggage claim areas.

4. Plastic spray bottle. Make sure to fill it up with water before de-planing. You will need to squirt some mist on your face every minute or so.

5. Deodorant. Be courteous to your fellow incoming passengers.

6. Perfume. Make it a Prada. Filipinos love designer stuff

7. Face mask. It will not only protect you from airborne viruses, but from the stench of sweat all around you.

8. Bikini top for women. Think of it as entering a dry sauna. And make it Victoria’s Secret. Filipinos love designer stuff.

9. Bikini bottom for men. Make it Calvin Klein. Filipinos love designer stuff.

10. Ice-cold bottled water. Not just any bottled water. Make it a Fiji. Did we already mention Filipinos love designer stuff?

Mabuhay! Welcome to Manila, you know, the place novelist Dan Brown calls “the gates of hell.”

Business, Film and TV, Human Interest, International, Law Enforcement, Politics, The Media

PHILIPPINE PORK BARREL SCAM: ‘NAPOLES LIST’ FINALLY REVEALED

May 25, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – After weeks of intense pressure from senators and congressmen as well as the media, Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima finally revealed the so-called ‘Napoles List’ which contained names of individuals that benefited from the 10 Billion-peso pork barrel scam. The scam allegedly siphoned taxpayer money into ghost nongovernmental organiztions (NGOs) and projects as well as the pockets of senators, congressmen, Aquino administration officials, the Justice Department, journalists and yes, even Catholic bishops.

The ‘Napoles List’ was contained in a signed affidavit obtained from suspected pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. De Lima persistently refused to make the list public, saying that the Justice Department needed more time to conduct a more thorough investigation of the celebrated case.

But today, de Lima made the list public.

The Adobo Chronicles obtained an early copy of the list. Because of limited space, we are publishing the list in installments of ten, starting with these names:

Elena Magtanggol
Perla Silanganan
Bayani Magiliw
Alana Puso
Lupa Hinirang
Duhat Magiting
Dibdiban de la Cruz
Juan Tamadino
Dyesebel Moreno
Darna Zobel

While no senators and congressmen are on this initial list, it does not mean that they are scathe-free. In fact this initial list are names of mistresses and gigolos of senators and congressmen who received money from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel funds.

Stay tuned for the next installment.

Business, Human Interest, International, Language, Politics, Travel

BAGUIO CITY IN THE PHILIPPINES TO BE RENAMED KOREA CITY

May 23, 2014 Pol Pinoy 4 Comments

The famous Lion Sculpture that welcomes visitors to Baguio

Baguio City, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – It is known as the summer capital of the Philippines because if its cool weather. During the hot summer months, Filipinos trek to this mountain resort city by the hundreds of thousands to escape the sweltering temperatures in the lowland areas. This is Baguio City, developed by the Americans in the early 1900’s, who found it to be an ideal site for a future city and summer retreat, especially for officers and employees of the Insular Government. It was designed for a population of 30,000 people, but today Baguio is home to 300,000, including over 20,000 South Koreans (and counting).

Many Koreans have found Baguio a suitable place to study English at local universities because of the relatively low cost of enrollment with no entrance exams required. But more importantly, Baguio weather is comparable to the spring and autumn weather in their homeland. The Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration says that South Koreans come to Baguio on tourist visas and extensions thereof, student visas, and lately, to establish local businesses.

In recognition of the contribution of South Koreans to the city’s economy, tourism and overpopulation, the Baguio City Council has recently passed a resolution that would change the name of Baguio to Korea City. Council members argued that Baguio has lost its allure anyway because of the local government’s failure to solve many of the city’s social, economic and environmental problems. They believe that by adopting a new name, the city can bounce back and be the great city it once was. “This will attract even more Koreans to settle in the city, resulting in a unique cultural mix and creating a viable and progressive business climate,” said one council member. He added that ‘Korea’ rhymes perfectly well with the name of the region Baguio belongs to — Cordillera.

Start practicing to say “Korea in the Cordillera.”