Monthly Archives: July 2009

MANILA, Philippines – Despite the improved financial health of the Philippine corporate sector last year, sources of easy credit are starting to shrink, the World Bank said in its latest quarterly report.

EVERY year, 536,000 women and girls die as a result of complications during pregnancy, childbirth or the six weeks following delivery.

THE proportion of seats held by women in parliament continues to rise slowly.

MALACAÑANG has failed in fighting corruption according to the target set by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but only just so.

HONORING commitments to increase international aid is critical at a time of economic crisis.

REMARKABLE advances have been made before the economic landscape changed so radically in 2008.

NINE years ago, world leaders set far-sighted goals to free a major portion of humanity from the shackles of extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease.

Special Report: The Millenium Dev’t Goals   LESS than six years remain before the Millennium Declaration reaches 2015 as the target date to halve extreme poverty in all its forms—and the world finds itself mired in an economic crisis that is unprecedented in its severity and global dimensions.

MANILA, Philippines – Pharmaceutical companies have until next week to submit a list of drugs and medicines whose prices they promised to cut by at least half, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said yesterday.

MALALAG, Davao Del Sur, Philippines—More and more cargo ships are being brought here to lay up as the country and the rest of the world suffer from a sharp decline in international cargo volume, according to the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina).

Call centers scrutinize pay structure MANILA, Philippines — The global economic downturn is forcing Philippine-based contact centers to operate more efficiently and keep their costs down, as high operating expenses may make them uncompetitive.

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) has six more years to bring the remaining 15 percent or almost four million school-age children into public schools.

CEBU, Philippines – The Salcon Power Independent Union said they will only withdraw their notice of strike if the management observes the principles of their Collective Bargaining Agreement, which according to them, is continuously being ignored by the latter.

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Manuel Roxas II wants President Arroyo to shed light on reports that pharmaceutical companies have brought their lobbying against the implementation of the Cheaper Medicine Law right to the doorsteps of Malacañang and with the help of a presidential adviser.

MANILA, Philippines – Net foreign direct investments surged to $601 million in April, propelled by the infusion made by Japan’s Kirin Holdings into San Miguel Brewery.

MANILA, Philippines – The government’s lending program for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) has lent a total of P305.57 billion to some 5.6 million beneficiaries since 2004 and in the process created 2.5 million jobs.

It is quite clear that, based on numerous studies, homosexuality is not a disease, nor is it a psychological disorder. It wasn’t always seen as such. Not so long ago, homosexuals were seen as sick people who needed to be cured. Not anymore. Sure, there are those who still see gay people as sick and…

MANILA (AFP)- Asia is facing an ageing crisis with weak and inadequate pension systems and family-based support dwindling, a leading development bank said Saturday.

Marveling at her newfound opportunity to finally pursue her dream of becoming a nurse someday, Gina Baylosis could not express her gratitude enough when she was named one of the scholars under the DBP Endowment for Education Program (DEEP).

PRESIDENT Arroyo has given pharmaceutical firms until July 18 to cut the prices of essential drugs by 50 percent or more as dictated by the Cheaper Medicines Law, an official said yesterday.

Do you know everything there is to know about your credit card? Are you aware of all the workarounds to get the most out of it? We’ve always been advised to read the whole contract and the fine print. But certain details are not even disclosed; these things are usually those that bend (but not…

MORE workers in the Mactan Export Processing Zone are expected to lose their jobs this year as the global financial crisis continues to affect some of the locators there.

MANILA, Philippines—The party-list system has become “ridiculous” and the groups running in the 2010 elections may be required to make public the names of their nominees, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

A French expert on nuclear waste yesterday said the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant would produce 17 tons of nuclear waste for 18 months of operation.

The Asian Development Bank yesterday said the Philippines is not going to experience economic recession this year because of the continuing growth in remittances and improving business confidence.

The Philippines’ economy will contract this year for the first time in 11 years, the World Bank said yesterday, cutting its 2009 growth forecast for the country to minus 0.5 percent.

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) proudly celebrates its 35th anniversary which is a milestone event and proof of what is has achieved in over three decades in the core areas of port development and port operations and administration in close partnership with its stakeholders in the maritime and shipping sector.

CALIFORNIA, United States—Provident Debt Solutions reached out to the Filipino community recently at the Fiesta Filipina event in San Francisco’s Civic Center.

The World Bank Group recently admitted that crucial assumptions of its Doing Business report were misguided, and faces a fundamental critique of its knowledge role.

CEBU, Philippines – A party-list representative is seeking a strong cooperation between the community and the Philippine National Police to promote peace and order in the country.