Tag Archives: San Francisco

Business, International

PHILIPPINES’ TORRE DE MANILA WILL BE RELOCATED TO SAN FRANCISCO

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Torre de Manila, Philippines, left, and San Francisco, right

SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles ® ) – The 49-story Torre de Manila condominium project in the Philippines’ capital has been so controversial that it has reached the Supreme Court which will have to decide on the fate of this infrastructure development.

The controversy is based on the fact that the building, when completed, will provide an ugly and inapprorpriate backdrop to the nation’s premier monument at Manila’s Luneta Park featuring its national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.

Lawmakers on Tuesday urged property developer D.M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI) to voluntarily demolish the controversial building rather than wait for the Supreme Court to issue a final ruling on the matter.

Realizing that it has nothing but a losing case on its side, DMCI has finally agreed to abandon the  project and demolish the building.

DMCI has come to the decision after it received confirmation from San Francisco that the City by the Bay has approved its application to build a similar project near the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee informed DMCI that the condominium project will help ease the American city’s housing shortage and uncontrollable skyrocketing of apartment rent.

Lee said that after seeing an artist’s rendition of how the condominium project will look like as a backdrop to the Golden Gate Bridge, he decided it would be great fit to San Francisco’s image and skyline.

 

 

 

Business, Economy, Government

SAN FRANCISCO TO BUILD RENT-FREE, 13-STORY BUILDING ON FORMER MCDONALD’S SITE

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From McDonald's to a 13-story complex
From McDonald’s to a 13-story complex

SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles ® )  – The City and County of San Francisco is trying its best to rid itself of the reputation of being one of the places in the U.S. with the most expensive rent, what with the monthly apartment rent averaging in excess of $4,000.

As more and more high-rise condominiums are springing up everywhere in the city, Mayor Ed Lee and the County Board of Supervisors announced the building of a new, 13-story complex at the former location of McDonald’s on 600 Van Ness Avenue (@Golden Gate) which recently closed its doors after more than three decades of operation.

Lee said that this is just the beginning of a 10-year strategic development plan to ease the critical housing shortage and sky-rocketing rents in the city.

Unlike other government housing projects,  the proposed high-rise will be rent-free for those who qualify.

Among other criteria, future residents of the new building will have to be convicted of a crime committed in San Francisco.

The multi-million high-rise project is a county jail.

Food

SAN FRANCISCO WILL REQUIRE HEALTH WARNINGS ON FILIPINO ‘HALO-HALO’

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Halo-Halo
Halo-Halo

SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles)  — San Francisco Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve health warnings on ads for sugary sodas and some other drinks, saying such beverages contribute to obesity, diabetes and other health problems.

It is believed that San Francisco would be the first place in the country to require such a warning on ads if it receives a second approval from the Board of Supervisors next week and the mayor signs it into law.

The ordinance defines sugar-sweetened beverages as drinks with more than 25 calories from sweeteners per 12 ounces.

That puts the popular Filipino beverage/snack, halo-halo, way above that category.

Halo-halo, is shaved ice served in a tall glass (certainly more than 12 ounces), mixed with ingredients like beans, coconut, sweet fruits, nuts, milk, flan and lots of sugar —  not including the scoop of ice cream topping.  A full version of halo-halo with ice cream could easily contain as much as 100 calories of sweeteners.

San Francisco Filipino restaurants serving halo-halo  opposed the ordinance, claiming that it will not only cost them extra money to include the health  warning in their ads, but could potentially discourage customers from ordering the delicious snack.

The FilAm community had mixed (halo) reactions to the ordinance, with some saying that it is good for the health of the community, and others arguing that it was about time to elect a Filipino supervisor so that their concerns and issues are sufficiently represented in San Francisco’s liberal politics.

Well, well.