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Today in History

March 16, 1960 MANILA, March 16 — On March 16, 1960, Araneta Coliseum, considered the biggest coliseum in Asia during its time, was inaugurated. Named after its owner J. Amado Araneta, the egg-shaped coliseum opened with Gabriel "Flash" Elorde boxing for the World Junior Lightweight crown from American Harold Gomes, the bout with more than 33,000 [...]

Romulo: Long road to peace requires government-civil society partnership

MANILA, March 16 — Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo dared members of the civil society to think of innovative ideas that would boost government-civil society partnership in the promotion of interfaith dialogue and cooperation. Addressing over 70 participants from national, regional and international faith-based groups, civil society and academe, Secretary Romulo stressed the important [...]

DFA's Usec Basilio opens preparatory senior officials meeting of SNAMMM

MANILA, March 16 — Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda F. Basilio opened Tuesday the preparatory senior officials’ meeting (SOM) of the Special Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development (SNAMMM). Basilio accepted the chairmanship of the SOM from Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz of the Arab Republic of Egypt, who [...]

RP ensures global peace, security through leadership in interfaith dialogue, nuclear disarmament

MANILA, March 16 — The Philippines’ leading role in ensuring international peace and security was lauded Tuesday by the chair of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM-COB). At the opening of the one-day Preparatory Senior Officials’ Meeting of the Special NAM Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development (SNAMMM), [...]

Lanao Norte declared as “2010 Outstanding Provincial Project Monitoring Committee” in Northern Mindanao

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, March 16 –- The Regional Development Council-National Economic Development Authority (RDC-NEDA) declared the province of Lanao del Norte as this year’s winner in the Search for Outstanding Local Project Monitoring Committees (LPMCs) in Northern Mindanao. Also declared winners by the RDC-NEDA are Gingoog City (city category) and tied for the top [...]

Japan commits P13.5-B in ODA for policy reform, climate change and health

MANILA, March 16 — Japan’s Ambassador to Manila Makoto Katsura and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo on Monday signed and exchanged notes for two official development loans and three grant aid projects totaling over Yen 26 billion (about P13.5 billion). About Y23.1 billion (estimated at P11.8 billion) is appropriated for two loans on policy reforms, [...]

Police, military ensure peaceful Araw ng Dabaw celebration

DAVAO CITY, March 16 – Members of the Task Force Davao has been ordered by Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte to secure the public in this year’s 73rd Araw ng Dabaw celebration which started March 1 and ends today. The culmination of the celebration is highlighted with more than 200 contingents participating in grand civic-military parade. Lieutenant [...]

PAL exec assures Davao City remains one of the top destinations

DAVAO CITY, March 16 – Philippine Airlines (PAL) executive has assured that Davao City remained as one of the top destinations for the country's flag-carrier, as passenger traffic flying in and out of the financial hub of Mindanao continues to grow. Enrique Javier, PAL vice president for sales, said in 2009, PAL increased its number [...]

Environmentalists groups spearhead Davao River cleanup activity

DAVAO CITY, March 16 – A group of environmentalists here spearheaded a clean-up activity on Monday along Davao River as part of the Araw ng Dabaw celebration and a belated celebration of the International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers, Water and Life on Sunday. Panalipdan and Katribu Patry-List said the activity also [...]

Mandaue fire guts down 221 houses

CEBU CITY, March 16 – A total of 221 houses were gutted down in a fire that hit a thickly-populated area across Pilipinas Makro Cebu in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City Monday afternoon. No casualty was reported in the fire which destroyed some P800,000 worth of property. But a resident, 42-year-old Ramon Formentera, suffered a five-inch cut [...]

Employees of defunct Shariff Kabunsuan province to get monetized terminal leave

SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao, March 16 – Personnel of the defunct Shariff Kabunsuan province have reasons to smile now that their monetized terminal leaves will be released on Monday. Maguindanao OIC-Governor Gani Biruar will personally lead the distribution of checks for more than 100 employees of the defunct Shariff Kabunsuan province in a ceremony to be [...]

Mayor Osmena shelves plan to build Pacquiao museum at SRP

CEBU CITY, March 16 – Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena has shelved his plan to build a museum in the South Road Properties (SRP) in honor of the boxing champ Manny Pacquiao. Osmeña said the proposal is shelved because both he and Pacquiao, who are both congressional candidates in the May 10 elections, have other [...]

Comelec completes training for city BEIs

ILOILO CITY, March 16 – The city Commission on Elections (Comelec) just recently has completed the trainings of some 688 teachers who will serve as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) in the May 2010 polls. Elections Assistant Officer II Jonathan Sayno said only the first two members –the chairman and the poll [...]

Northern Cebu towns affected by El Nino, DA-7 and PAGASA say

CEBU CITY, March 16 – Cebu's northern towns are now feeling the heat of El Niño, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA) 7 and weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services, Administration (PAGASA). Officials of the two government agencies on Monday briefed the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) on the effects of the El [...]

ARMM port declared free port

PARANG, Maguindanao, March 16 – Regional Governor Ansaruddin Adiong on Monday declared the Maguindanao port as a Free Port and the host barangay Polloc as a Special Economic Zone in the region. With the declaration, the port, known for decades as Polloc Port, has finally sees a ray of light in its quest to open [...]

Cebu City Council set to double SRP lot prices

CEBU CITY, March 16 – The Cebu City Council is set to approve a resolution doubling the prices of lots at the South Road Properties (SRP) from a minimum price of P8,000 per square meter to P16,000. Cebu City Councilor Jose Daluz III said there is a need to raise lot prices since ongoing developments [...]

Central Luzon bags 4 awards in 2010 National OTOP Awards

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, March 16 — Central Luzon has bagged four awards in the recently- concluded 2010 National One Town, One Product (OTOP) Congress held at the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) in Pasay City. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 3 director Blesila Lantayona said that specialized gown [...]

Somali gov't signs power sharing agreement with Islamist group

MOGADISHU, March 16 — The Somali government signed a power sharing agreement on Monday with a main moderate Islamist group, the armed Sufi group, in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, reports reaching here said. The agreement with the group known as the Ahlu Sunnah Waljama which is fighting the Islamist movement of Al Shabaab, [...]

Clinton to travel to Moscow for Mideast peace, nuclear arms control

WASHINGTON, March 16 — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Moscow on Thursday for the Quartet meeting on the Middle East peace process and the nuclear arms control between the United States and Russia, said State Department on Monday. Secretary Clinton, accompanied by U.S. Special Envoy to Middle East George Mitchell, [...]

Jordanian Islamists call for worldwide rallies in support of Al Aqsa Mosque

AMMAN, March 16 — A Jordanian Islamist movement on Monday called on the Arabs and Muslims across the world to rally in support of Al Aqsa Mosque and the holy sites in Jerusalem and in protest of Israel's provocative measures and violations against the mosque. In a press conference Monday, Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood Overall Leader [...]