Tag: No. 2

ACCUSING Justice Secretary Leila de Lima of being behind the criminal complaint filed by expelled Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) minister Isaias Samson Jr. against the INC leadership for alleged illegal detention, tens of thousands of the sect's members took to Edsa and surrounding streets to demand that the case be withdrawn, that De Lima stop meddling in the affairs of the INC, and for the government to respect the separation of church and state.

POPE Francis’ declaration of the first day of September as the annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creations is arguably the best time for the Pope to reiterate that being stewards of Creation does not only mean people should protect the environment, but that they should also check the human corruption and spiritual “pollution” that have caused the environmental crisis--among several crises--in the first place.

With “Laudato Si’,” his second encyclical, Pope Francis has called for the revitalization of God’s creation and reminded the faithful that along with upholding life, practicing charity, promoting justice, and observing morality, they must also protect the environment.

AUTHOR Dan Brown's infamous statement of Manila as the “gates of hell” may have caused quite an uproar among Filipinos two years ago, but given the current situation of traffic and transportation woes in the city, one may have to treat the line as gospel truth rather than an exaggeration.

Being a regular commuter, I have had my fair share of times uttering curse words out of sheer annoyance that despite an early morning start, a major gridlock is bound to have me late and distressed.

“HINDI naman sa gobyerno napupunta ang ipinapadalang dolyar ng mga overseas Filipino workers (OFW) kaya hindi ito nararamdaman direkta sa ekonomiya ng bansa.”

Ito ang napabalitang pahayag ni presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda bilang tugon sa samu’t saring pambabatikos na inani ng administrasyong Aquino patungkol sa plano ng Bureau of Customs na ipatupad ang pag-iinspeksiyon at pagdadagdag ng buwis sa mga “balikbayan boxes.”

APPARENTLY, not all systems upgrades result in improvement.

For many Thomasians, riding the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) lines is a daily ascent to calvary. The implementation of a “unified ticketing system” for the three existing rapid rail transit lines has exacerbated commuter woes.

The new “contactless” tickets, known as “beep cards,” were introduced by AF Payments Inc. under a public-private partnership or PPP contract. AF Payments is owned by two big conglomerates, Ayala Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

DESPITE rapid technological innovation and the growing popularity of e-books, the UST Miguel de Benavides Library is confident that its services remain significant and relevant to its main clientele—students of the University.

Prefect of Libraries Fr. Angel Aparicio, O.P. said the library’s continuous acquisition of both traditional (printed) and modern (electronic) resources keeps it relevant.

“The library is using [a] variety of resources, from the traditional ones to the most modern ones. If the library is not using that, perhaps the library will become irrelevant,” he said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

YOU DON’T need a port key, floo powder, Knight Bus, or Hogwarts Express to experience Hogsmeade and have a taste of the famous Butterbeer.

Nicole Guanio, a Business Economics graduate of 2014, came up with a Harry Potter-themed café called The Nook Café on the famous Maginhawa food strip last July which continues to leave Potterheads spell-bound with all of its quirky charms.

Butterbeer, a frothy drink that was adopted from the Three Broomsticks pub in Harry Potter, is the signature drink of the Nook Café, which allowed it to gain the favor of many Harry Potter fans in and out of the metro.

SAAN tayo kakain?

For the College of Commerce and Business Administration, finding the answer to this generic question has been one of the objectives of some Thomasian entrepreneurs.

Students under the entrepreneurship program were required to establish businesses as part of their theses and, true to their objective, were able to hit this sweet spot.

Not ‘just’ a thesis

Thomasian gourmets may start to recognize stores at a glance, and even formulate "food plans" before ever entering their chosen establishments. From a diversity of meals and price ranges, a prospective Thomasian may either try new meals or simply choose their “usual.”

This UST graduate is a world-class bartender.

Kenneth Bandivas, who obtained a bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management in 2011, was named winner of the “Around the World” challenge of World Class 2015, the cocktail industry’s most prestigious mixology competition.

Bandivas bested 53 other bartenders with his drinks “Bitter Felipe,” an ampalaya infused cocktail mixed with lime, and “My First Float,” a Marula flavored cocktail with rum and syrup.

Aiming to pay homage to the Filipinos, Bandivas’ “drinks with a twist” relived all-time favorite drinks, but cream liquors provided extra twists to his pieces.

World Class 2015, hosted by Diageo Reserve bar in South Africa, was held last Sept. 4.

The potential medicinal benefits of cannabis or marijuana have given a ray of hope to patients with terminal conditions, prompting some countries to allow its use for strictly medical purposes.

In the Philippines, advocates of medical marijuana want it legalized as well through a recent bill filed last May 2014.

House Bill No. 4477 or the “Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act” calls for the legalization of the medical use of marijuana for patients with serious medical conditions such as cancer.

Rodolfo Albano III, House Deputy Minority Leader, said his bill intends “to provide accessible, affordable, and safe medical cannabis to qualifying patients.”