Monthly Archives: March 2009

It is not only poverty that prevents Filipino children from going to school but also bullying, humiliation, physical maltreatment and sexual harassment perpetrated not only by fellow students but also by teachers. And violence against children proves to be prevalent with at least five out of 10 children in Grades 1 to 3, seven of…

The public is paying the subsidy for the mismanaged Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRT) and the government would be better off taking over the operations of the mass transit firm, opposition Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero said.

As vessels are laid up owing to sharp falls in world trade, up to 40,000 Filipino seafarers working for Japanese shipping companies stand to lose their jobs this year, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto yesterday assured that the government would step up efforts to address the rising unemployment rate in the country.

MANILA, Philippines – Despite its resilience, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the Philippine economy is still sensitive to a deeper and protracted global economic downturn requiring prompt and decisive policy action.

More Filipino workers here and overseas are facing retrenchment in the coming months, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday.

The Pasig River ferry sails further upstream to Napindan Channel while the Department of Public Works and Highways starts this month its P48-billion C-6 Expressway alignment.

As jOB losses mount, the Social Security System will make available P500 million in emergency loans for its members who have been displaced by the global economic crisis.

The Commission on Human Rights will look into the series of unexplained killings attributed to the “Davao Death Squad” and unmask those behind the vigilante group.

SINGAPORE: Singapore has urged Myanmar’s ruling generals to take “bolder steps” to promote national reconciliation and work with the international community amid fresh reports of arrests in Yangon.

The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) is asking the government to act on the increasing number of illegal Korean travel agencies and tour operators in the country, which are taking a toll on their business.

Growth in the information and communications and technology (ICT) sector has been targeted as a major growth area by the government. Just recently, the Central Luzon Cyber Corridor, one of five Super Regions planned by the government, has been touted to be “an oasis of hope” in the face of the global economic meltdown. Its…

Thousands of Filipino seamen working for Japanese shipping companies face downsizing this year, as vessels are laid up because of the sharp fall in world trade, an official said Wednesday.

I am told that the Philippines is the only country in Asia that has no social pension for poor, older people. These are mostly the ones who were not formally employed when they were younger and therefore did not have social security or insurance that they could draw from in their older years.

It takes as short as several months to as long as a year or two before prices of household commodities rise. No matter the length of time, it is a given that families have to set aside a large portion of their budget for food and other necessities. In the Philippines, there are a lot…

Close this DENPASAR — More than 70,000 children across Asia are being used by sex tourists, mainly in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, an independent expert said Thursday.

It’s clear that the current recession is not going to be a fleeting phenomenon. Managers need to learn how to lead under extraordinary marketplace pressures and decreased morale, amid pay cuts, spending cuts on strategic projects, and staff reductions. As a leader, you can get through this mess in a positive manner if you take…

MANILA, Philippines – A labor study group warned Wednesday that occupational health risks in the outsourcing industry are likely to increase after the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) said companies are scaling down growth targets and hiring of new personnel, if not already laying off some.

Premium contributions to the Pag-IBIG Fund are likely to increase if Congress approves a bill strengthening the housing fund scheme.

The P1.4-trillion General Appropriations Act for 2009 purportedly contains an economic stimulus package worth P330 billion, the equivalent of about $6.8 billion. However, only P30 billion, or about $613 million, are actually “new” allocations, according to Dr. Rene Ofreneo, executive director of the Fair Trade Alliance (FairTrade).

AT least 40 Filipinos are stranded in Malaysia for failure to pay the penalties for overstaying, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported over the weekend.

Filipinos out of work have risen to 7.7 percent of the country’s available workforce and if the figure included those considered underemployed, about one in 10 Filipinos does not have a decent job, government data released yesterday showed.

Borrowers with delinquent loans from any government financing institution (GFI) or housing agency may now apply for loan restructuring and condonation under a new program that aims to save their homes from foreclosure, Vice President Noli de Castro, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), announced yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has expressed concern over the government’s swelling budget deficit.

MANILA, Philippines – Families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are saving more of their family income as consumers brace against the full impact of the economic slowdown.

MANILA, Philippines – Seven out of 24 pre-need firms with existing dealer’s licenses have incurred a trust fund deficiency as of Dec. 31 last year.

MANILA, Philippines – Catholic Church leaders urged the members of the House of Representatives to support the passage of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reform (CARPER) after the senators gave their commitment to approve the measure.

MANILA, Philippines – The National Statistic Office (NSO) reported yesterday that there are now 2.855 million jobless Filipinos in January as the local unemployment rate increased to 7.7 percent owing to the global economic crisis.

Chinese women who ate mushrooms and drank green tea significantly cut their risk of breast cancer and the severity of the cancer in those who did develop it, an Australian researcher said Wednesday.

MANILA, Philippines—For Asia to overcome the global economic crisis, the region needs to develop more robust social protection systems for its people, a top ranking United Nations official visiting here said Wednesday.