Monthly Archives: March 2009

Have you been laid off recently because of your age? Lay-offs are an unfortunate event that come with little or no notice and are out of your control. Experiencing a lay-off is much like being the victim in an accident, or a victim of a crime; we are deeply affected, and yet there is little…

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MANILA, Philippines – The World Bank is putting greater emphasis on poverty alleviation and good governance in its assistance to the Philippines, and is ready to commit from $700 million to $1 billion in aid annually.

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT , Philippines  – Philippine economic managers, together with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) officials, urged the Central Luzon business community to take advantage of the stable and resilient economic environment created by the government in past years through tough economic reforms.

WASHINGTON: The global economy will shrink for the first time in 60 years in 2009, the International Monetary Fund warned yesterday as EU leaders balked at growing US pressure to spend more to ease the crisis.

FORMER Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, now Philippines’ Permanent Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has presented his credentials to the regional block’s Secretary General, the Asean Secretariat reported Friday.

BEIJING: The world economy is likely to shrink in 2009 despite growth in Asian powerhouses China and India, the head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Angel Gurria said Friday, warning of a first global contraction in 60 years.

The EU has said it may double to 50bn euros (£47bn; $68bn) the amount of emergency funding to help member states that need urgent budget support.

MANILA, Philippines – The Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) expects the Philippine economy to fall close to recession due to falling exports and declining remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed the petition filed by two military rebels seeking immunity for the kidnapping and murder of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) chairman Rolanda Olalia and his driver Leonor Alay-ay in 1986.

Administrator Jennifer Manalili of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) confirmed yesterday that millions of pesos for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) have gone missing after being invested in the padlocked Rural Bank of Parañaque.

MANILA, Philippines – The Action Network Human Rights (ANHR), a German-based human rights group, welcomed the creation of human rights offices by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

TOKYO (AP) — A panel of Asian researchers said yesterday the global financial crisis has underlined the critical need for the region to grow less export-dependent and instead foster domestic demand.

JAKARTA (Xinhua) – ASEAN countries on Thursday vowed more efforts to free the region from child sex tourism, Antara News Wire said here today.

MANILA, Philippines – Domestic tourism is alive and well, and will help the industry and the whole economy survive the international financial meltdown, according to one of its business leaders.

MANILA, Philippines – Research firm International Data Corp. (IDC) has scaled down its growth projections for information and communication technology (ICT) spending in the Philippines for 2009 to 6.3 percent, from an earlier forecast of 10 percent.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With the US sinking deeper into recession, the Federal Reserve launched a bold $1.2-trillion effort Wednesday to lower rates on mortgages and other consumer debt, spur spending and revive the economy.

MANILA, Philippines—Amid the economic downturn, more people are hunting for jobs online, particularly through a site hosted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).

MANILA, Philippines – Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) could drop to as low as $11.4 billion this year, cutting the country’s economic growth down to two percent due to the expected decline in consumption spending.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is extending a 20 percent tax discount for persons with disabilities through the issuance of Revenue Regulation 1-2009.

In Masbate, there is an alternative to going to school despite the inability of people to afford formal education. The Department of Education (DepEd) has introduced the alternative learning system (ALS), a free education program that benefits those who cannot afford formal schooling and it follows whatever is their available schedules.

THE Supreme Court has given the go-signal for the prosecution of two members of the rebel military group Reform the Armed Forces of the Philippines Movement (RAM) in connection with the killing of Kilusang Mayo Uno head Rolando Olalia and his driver Leonor Alay-ay 23 years ago

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said the sluggish growth in earnings of Filipino workers over the last decade is “alarming,” particularly because the figures did not expand faster than the economic growth rate.

WHILE it’s all gloom and doom on most economic fronts, at least the business process out-sourcing (BPO) sector seems to be painting a rosy picture. And just as well, seeing that BPO companies have more or less sustained the Philippine economy for much of this decade.

The Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (Dole-7) introduced on Tuesday another project that will give employment to registered nurses whose parents or siblings lost their jobs because of the global economic crisis.

The world economy is set to shrink by between 0.5% and 1.0% in 2009, the first global contraction in 60 years.

Water shortages are predicted across large parts of Africa, Europe and Asia Growing world population will cause a “perfect storm” of food, energy and water shortages by 2030, the UK government chief scientist has warned.

Around 1,500 government workers and managers will gather for the National Workers’ Congress on March 23, 2009 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.