Tag Archives: Torre De Manila

Government, International, Law Enforcement

U.S. CONGRESS HALTS CONSTRUCTION OF NEW PHILIPPINE EMBASSY AND CENTER IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

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imageWASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adocho Chronicles) – The Congress of the United States has filed a complaint against the construction of a new Philippine Embassy and Center in Washington, D.C.

The new construction involves a 46-storey building that will house the Philippine Embassy as well as government and private suites owned or managed by Filipino individuals and organizations.

It resembles the Torre de Manila condominium project which has been the subject of controversy and lawsuits in the Philippines because it was “photobombing” the Dr. Jose Rizal (Philippines’ national hero) monument in Luneta Park.

John Boehner, in one of his last initiatives before he steps down as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said that the new construction  obliterates not only the skyline of Washington, D.C, but the solemn and historical significance of the Capitol Building. “We must stop the construction,” Boehner said.

Politics

CONTROVERSIAL TORRE DE MANILA’S FACADE NOW A GIANT CAMPAIGN BILLBOARD FOR MAR ROXAS

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imageMANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – While Filipinos await a decision from the Philippine Supreme Court on Torre de Manila, a new, giant billboard has been put up on the facade of the controversial condominium project.

The court case stems from a petition filed by the Knights of Rizal seeking to stop the construction of the high-rise building because it mars the sightline of the monument of the country’s national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. Among the respondents named in the petition were the National Historical Commision of the Philippines (NHCP), National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the National Museum.

Just yesterday, the  Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) said it will no longer represent NHCP in the case filed before the Supreme Court. (It wasn’t clear whether or not the OSG decision had something to do with the new billboard.)

The billboard was put up by Liberal Party presidential candidate Mar Roxas, President Aquino’s Interior and Local Government Secretary.

As expected , Roxas’s rival candidate, Vice President Jejomar Binay, has protested the campaign billboard and says he will file an electioneering complaint against Roxas before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Binay asserts that the official campaign period has not yet begun and that the vice president is put at a great disadvantage by the billboard because of its prime location. Binay also claims that the Roxas campaign billboard exceeds the maximum size allowed under Comelec rules.

Awards, Human Interest, International

BREAKING: TORRE DE MANILA DECLARED A WORLD HERITAGE SITE

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imagePARIS, France (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today honored the Philippines with another World Heritage Site designation, this time for Torre De Manila. The 46-storey condominium project at Luneta Park in Manila joins Vigan City, in Ilocos Sur in receiving this prestigious designation.

The announcement was made by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova in ceremonies held at the Place de Fontenoy, the U.N. body’s headquarters in Paris.

UNESCO’s three-fold mission is to build intercultural understanding, pursue scientific cooperation, and protect freedom of expression. It created the idea of World Heritage to protect sites of outstanding universal value.

In her statement, Bokova said:

“Torre De Manila is the best example of urban planning, rising from the hallowed ground just steps away from the burial site of the Philippines’ national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.”

“It has withstood a persistent wave of nationalistic uprising while standing tall and firm amid bureaucratic obstacles and political favors. It is a symbol of the indomitable spirit of the Filipinos, and is a testament to the centuries-long divide between the haves and the have-nots.”

“Torre De Manila fuses the past with the future, ensuring that the next generation of Filipinos will draw inspiration from the heroism and courage of their heroes as well as the tactless perseverance and resiliency of those who built, or who allowed to build, this monumental heritage never before seen anywhere in ancient and modern times.”

Upon hearing the news , Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada declared a non-working holiday for the entire city to allow its citizens to fittingly celebrate this momentous occasion.