AFP

AFP may refer to:

Economy

Humanities

Media

Military forces

Philippine Airlines

Philippine Airlines (PAL), a trade name of PAL Holdings, Inc. (PSE: PAL), also known historically (until 1970) as Philippine Air Lines, is the flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered at the PNB Financial Center in Pasay City, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia operating under its original name. Out of its hubs at Ninoy Aquino International Airport of Manila and Mactan-Cebu International Airport of Cebu, Philippine Airlines serves 31 destinations in the Philippines and 41 overseas destinations in Southeast Asia, East Asia, Middle East, Oceania, North America and Europe.

Formerly one of the largest Asian airlines, PAL was severely affected by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. In one of the Philippines' biggest corporate failures, PAL was forced to downsize its international operations by completely cutting flights to Europe and Middle East, cutting virtually all domestic flights except routes operated from Manila, reducing the size of its fleet, and laying off thousands of employees. The airline was placed under receivership in 1998, and gradually restored operations to many destinations. After PAL's exit from receivership in 2007, PAL embarked on a frequent revamp of management. However, PAL's vision to re-establish itself as one of Asia's premier carriers, is still the matter of greatest importance.

GMA News and Public Affairs

GMA News and Public Affairs (commonly GMA News; formerly RBS News Department, GMA Radio-Television News and GMA Rainbow Satellite News) is the news and public affairs programming division of the media conglomerate, GMA Network Inc.

It produces news, public affairs, infotainment, and lately, entertainment programs for all GMA Network and GMA News TV owned and affiliated television and radio stations in the Philippines, and internationally through GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV and GMA News TV International. GMA News and Public Affairs is currently headed by Marissa Flores. It is headquartered at the Ground Floor of GMA Network Center in Quezon City.

History

News division

The GMA News division traces its origin from the Republic Broadcasting System, established by Robert Stewart in 1959. Programming of its radio station, DZBB depended on mostly news reports. The station covered the eruption of Mt. Hibok-Hibok in 1951 and the election and death of the Former President Ramon Magsaysay. While RBS Channel 7 was established in 1961, it was in the 1970s that GMA became one of the most-watched television news source in the country. In 1983, Channel 7 was the first to break the news of Ninoy Aquino's death and later would be the only television station to broadcast his funeral. The channel also became the first station to broadcast the Ramos-Enrile break-away that led to the People Power Revolution (otherwise known as EDSA Revolution).

Air force

An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy, or a marine corps. Typically, air forces are responsible for gaining control of the air, carrying out strategic and tactical bombing missions, and providing support to land and naval forces.

The term "air force" may also refer to a tactical air force or numbered air force, which is an operational formation either within a national air force or comprising several air components from allied nations. Air forces typically consist of a combination of fighters, bombers, helicopters, transport planes and other aircraft.

Many air forces are also responsible for operations of the military space, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), and communications equipment. Some air forces may command and control other air defence assets such as anti-aircraft artillery, surface-to-air missiles, or anti-ballistic missile warning networks and defensive systems. Some nations, principally Russia, the former Soviet Union and countries who modelled their militaries along Soviet lines, have an air defence force which is organizationally separate from their air force.

Philippine Air Force

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) (Filipino: Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Initially part of the Philippine Army, the PAF was formed as a separate branch on July 1, 1947 under Executive Order No. 94.

History

Early years to recent

The forerunners of the Philippine Air Force were the Philippine Militia, otherwise known as Philippine National Guard (PNG). Senate President Manuel L. Quezon enacted a bill on March 17, 1917 for the creation of the Philippine Militia, the bill was known as Militia Act 2715. It was enacted in anticipation that there would be an outbreak of hostilities between United States and Germany.

By the end of the First World War, the US Army and Navy began selling aircraft and equipment to the Philippine Militia Commission. The Commission then hired the services of the Curtiss School of Aviation to provide flight training to 33 students at a local base in Parañaque.

The early aviation unit was however, still lacking knowledge and equipment to be considered as an air force and was then limited only to air transport duties. On January 2, 1935,Philippine Military Aviation was activated when the 10th Congress passed Commonwealth Act 1494 that provided for the organization of the Philippine Constabulary Air Corps (PCAC). PCAC was renamed as the Philippine Army Air Corps (PAAC) in 1936. It started with only three planes on its inventory. In 1941, PAAC has a total of 54 aircraft ranging from pursuit (fighters) light bombers, reconnaissance aircraft, light transport and trainers. They later engaged the Japanese on their invasion of the Philippines in 1941–42, and was reformed in 1945 after the country's liberation.