Monthly Archives: June 2009

MANILA, Philippines—Local property developers may find themselves faced with less robust demand from the business process outsourcing (BPO) firms as they strive to make more efficient use of their existing office space.

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines—With the recent closure by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) of several foreign-owned hotels and a casino here, former employees are clamoring for payment of back wages and benefits before the firm’s remaining assets are taken by its creditors.

The news article “RP had most war evacuees in 2008, says Norway group” (Inquirer, 6/20/09) should serve as a strong reminder to all 2010 electoral candidates of the grave importance of a peace and human rights agenda amid the worsening civil war in the country, which has caused death and displacement and violence, thus effectively…

BANGKOK—As the target date for launching the ASEAN human rights body (AHRB) nears, civil society groups have warned depriving it of watchdog powers would erode the credibility of the regional organization.

MANILA, Philippines – There are many ways to treat diseased conditions. Ultimately, however, any disease can only be permanently remedied by uprooting the cause. In the vast majority of cases, the cause lies in unnatural unbalanced physical and or mental habits. Therefore, changing one’s bad habits is the most important part of treatment. Natural therapy…

MANILA, Philippines – Despite monetary easing by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), bank lending is slowing down because few companies actually have the appetite for bank loans and demand would not recover until the economy bounces back.

Millions of Filipinos are experiencing mental changes as they age and are struggling with the question, “Am I getting Alzheimer’s?” After all, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, which is defined as a loss of intellectual and social abilities severe enough to interfere with daily functioning. Dementia affects about 10 percent of…

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will offer financial grants to retrenched workers of Triumph International to help them cope with the crisis.

THE Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. pressed the government yesterday to sustain its anti-smuggling operations as it lauded the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group for seizing P1 billion worth of used vehicles in Davao City recently.

PORK producers in Brazil, Latin America’s biggest exporter, may pursue a complaint at the World Trade Organization against the Philippines because the Southeast Asian nation was blocking imports, an industry official said.

The newly formed Task Force DDS (DDS being an acronym for Davao Death Squads) is having a hard time unraveling the mystery behind the series of unexplained killings largely attributed to death squads operating in Davao City and suburban areas.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The US House of Representatives on Friday narrowly passed a bill aimed at capping and reducing US greenhouse gas emissions and lowering the country’s dependence on foreign oil, in what experts say a critical step toward tackling climate change.

CAN a candidate with no money, no power and no political network win against another candidate who has all those? Ed Panlilio’s election victory proved the future is unknowable and things can always change in ways that one can’t foresee. His opponents learned it the hard way.

ZAMBOANGA CITY: The Philippines is virtually selling its Muslim women to work as housemaids in Malaysia. This after Indonesia recently announced a temporary ban on sending domestic helpers to Malaysia after a recent case of maid-abuse.

The Philippine economy will stay afloat in the first half of this year on the back of an improvement in retail sales and government spending, indicating that the state’s full year growth target will be met.

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the economic slowdown is taking its toll on bank lending, citing its deceleration in recent months.

Dear PAO, My sister and I were the beneficiaries of my mother’s Social Security System (SSS) pension, as she was not married to my stepfather. When my mother died in 2001, my uncle took care of processing her burial and death benefits because at that time we were still minors. My uncle took my mother’s…

The Philippines’ progress in governance and anti-corruption over the past decade failed to make improvements and was still behind its neighboring countries, the World Bank reported.

MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Treasury managed to raise less than two-thirds of its P8.5-billion borrowing target in yesterday’s auction of treasury bills, as it decided to reject some bids due to the high rates sought by banks.

THE claim of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) that the Philippines ranks fifth among the circle of countries that either produce or use cocaine, crack, heroin and other illegal drugs apart from shabu is baseless, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Have you ever noticed that looks and a good personality often don’t go hand in hand? Maybe it’s God’s way of compensating. More often than not, if you’re ugly, you’re gifted with a good personality; if you’re blessed with good looks, you’re either a bitch or a jerk; if you have so-so looks, you also…

A Bangko Sentral official said something last Friday that summarizes our problem as a nation. In a crisis, Deputy BSP Governor Diwa Guinigundo said, the country’s best option rests not in exports or consumption activities but in good governance.

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino businesses were ranked as the most environment friendly when compared to other countries, based on a survey conducted by the Grant Thornton International Business Report released by audit, tax and business advisory firm Punongbayan & Araullo (P&A).

MANILA, Philippines – How you perceive and use technology at work could reveal your age. In a recent market survey conducted by WorldOne Research they discovered that age plays a big factor in the way professionals today embrace technology at work.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Finance (DOF) expressed support to the proposal to raise the discount rate for senior citizens from the current 20 percent to 30 percent.

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) and the Department of Education (DepEd) have joined hands in promoting the rule of law among Filipino youth through the implementation of the second phase of their joint program, Public Education of the Rule of Law Advancement and Support (Perlas).

The US Congress now holds the key for the eventual revival of the country’s garments and textile industry after a US representative filed a bill that would provide preferential treatment to the local exports using American raw materials that was introduced under Save Our Industries Act of 2009.

As proof that the worst has yet to come in the labor front, multinational lingerie maker Triumph International will cease operations in the country that would result in the layoff of 1,662 local employees.

There is life after call center. And for Shawie Bernaldez, who is currently living her dream, it may not be as financially fulfilling, but it couldn’t be any sweeter.“ I’m currently working as a writer for online publications.” Bernaldez told The Manila Times. “I don’t make as much but being rich isn’t necessarily my goal.…

PHILIPPINE private power plant operators has asked Congress to look into the continued delay in the turnover of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) to the private sector.