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CARVED with
devotion: Wooden sculptures crafted by African and
Filipino artists (right) |
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‘In
agony until time ends...’ |
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Holy
Week, “in the old days,” meant that the crucifix and the
images of the saints in our churches were all shrouded with
violet-colored covers. That ancient custom is no longer
generally followed, though the liturgical ordo tells us it
may still be observed. In Holy Week the Stations of the
Cross come alive in our parish churches. |
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BSP
can ‘pause’ after Fed cut |
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The
country’s policymakers have time “to pause” as the Federal
Reserve’s interest-rate cut will slow the withdrawal of
overseas funds from emerging markets, Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said
Wednesday.
“This will
moderate flight back to US debt,” Guinigundo said in a
mobile- phone message. The slower outflow will allow the
Philippines to “reflect on strategic direction of monetary
policy.” |
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Fiscal deficit down sharply to P13.9B |
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The national
government posted a deficit of P13.9 billion in January,
part of a deliberate effort to front-load its spending for
social services and infrastructure as Manila’s biggest
market, the United States, was increasingly seen to go into
recession. |
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Treasury chief defends government securities plan |
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The National
Treasury insisted on the regularity of selling government
securities on negotiated basis rather than through an
auction process despite fair warning from the monetary
authorities that the plan may be challenged in court.
Acting
Treasury chief and Finance Undersecretary Roberto Tan
reiterated Wednesday the negotiated sale of government
securities was completely regular and should not be
questioned. |
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Need
Wi-Fi? Go to an SM mall |
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Baguio City—In
today’s increasingly competitive and digital business world,
SM Prime Holdings Inc., the country’s largest shopping-mall
developer, plans to offer Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) in all
its SM supermalls before the year ends.
“We now live
in a world where the wireless Internet is always on and
always available. At the mall, we will allow shoppers to
stay connected while they shop till they drop,” said Bien
Mateo, Shopping Center Management Corp. assistant vice
president for operations. |
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Cebu
clears Filinvest bid for SRP development |
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CEBU
CITY—The Cebu City government has accepted the proposal of
Filinvest Land Inc. to develop 50 hectares at the South Road
Properties (SRP), pending clearance from the Commission on
Audit (COA).
Filinvest is
proposing to buy 14 hectares of SRP’s Pond F, the seafront
strip of the 240-hectare reclaimed area facing the Mactan
Channel, at P15,000 per square meter. |
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Village braces for tourists |
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CITY OF SAN
FERNANDO—The sleepy village of San Pedro Cutud in this
capital city will again be bustling with hordes of foreign
and domestic tourists on Good Friday to witness the
reenactment by local penitents of the crucifixion of Jesus
Christ.
San Pedro
Cutud barangay chairman Remegio de la Cruz said that the Via
Crucis or the “Way of the Cross,” a locally produced street
drama that dates back to the 1950s, will be staged from the
village entry arch to usher in the “crucifixion” of the
actor playing the role of Christ. |
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Bus
firms warned on fare hikes |
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THE Land
Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on
Tuesday warned bus owners who will take advantage of the
influx of province-bound passengers by resorting to illegal
fare hikes.
LTFRB
Chairman Thomson Lantion said corresponding sanctions await
those who will be caught violating the fare matrix. |
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MORE STORIES ... |
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SM malls in
Northern Luzon will soon offer free Wi-Fi service to
customers, with the mall in Baguio City as the first to
provide the service. Bien Mateo, SM Supermalls assistant
vice president for Northern Luzon, with Amy Gonzalez, Marc
Janssen Pe and Richard Arceo, all of SM Baguio, answer
questions from the media following the announcement of the
activation of the service.
--MAURICIO VICTA |
