Monthly Archives: July 2009

GENEVA – TRADE safeguards used by countries to protect their industries risk doing more harm than good in the current global economic crisis, the WTO said on Wednesday.

MANILA – The Philippines is seen to perform better in the second half of the year, especially after posting a positive growth during the worst of the global downturn.

To strengthen the delivert of the government’s Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP), the Department of Labor and Employment in partnership with the Department of Energy and the United Brotherhood of Uniformed Personnel will jointly conduct the Third Serbisyo Caravan for Displaced Workers at Building 64, Celery St., FTI Complex, Taguig City tomorrow, July…

MANILA, Philippines – Moody’s Investors Service has raised its sovereign rating for the Philippines to Ba3 from B1 previously, noting the country’s high degree of resiliency against external shocks.

THE report of the Presidential Task Force for Education (PTFE) containing updates, recommendations and action plans on different issues and concerns in the Philippine education system was presented to the Cabinet at its meeting held at Aguinaldo Hall, Malacañan Palace on December 8, 2008. This was subsequently approved by President Gloria Arroyo.

Alleviating poverty, curbing HIV, managing climate change   Because of global recession, the Philippines has not kept up with meeting the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations, a UN official said Thursday.

Remittances may not be as ‘robust’ – bank   The Philippine economic growth forecast was most likely to be revised downward this year because of the expected drop in remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), Asian Development Bank said.

Last Sunday, I fired our two live-in house helpers after discovering that, instead of keeping an eye on the house while we were out, they themselves went out and then sneaked back in the wee hours of the morning. When confronted, they did not deny that they had done it before. Because we have live-in…

Spain, despite suffering from the global economic crisis, was still in need of foreign nurses including Filipinos, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced Wednesday.

Genetic modification may be the only viable way to produce sufficient quantities of rice in the future as drought, climate change and dwindling acreage impact yields, experts said in a new report.

To reinforce the attainment of the UN Millennium Development Goals by the 192 Member States of UNESCO, the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) was declared with UNESCO as the implementing agency.

MANILA, Philippines – In response to calls from the business sector for an early announcement of the schedule of holidays, President Arroyo has released presidential proclamation declaring all the holidays for 2010.

When long-time Clark Development Corp. director Benigno N. Ricafort assumed on Aug. 1 last year the position of CDC president and chief executive officer, the cloud of the global financial crisis was there hanging over his head.

Second in a series on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s 9th State of the Nation Address A yearly calendar of shock-and-awe stories that involve corruption in high places and weak leadership.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronnie Puno has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to strengthen and expand its Women and Children Protection Desks (WCPDs) nationwide by forging partnerships with volunteer groups and by continuously training and familiarizing police officers on promoting the women’s and children’s rights.

MANILA, Philippines – Despite the scandals that rocked her administration since she took over the government in January 2001, President Arroyo has “done better” than her predecessors.

The leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) should be condemned for its cavalier treatment of the rape and sexual harassment raps filed by six women — including three members of the Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk of the Davao del Sur provincial office, as well as the wife of a junior officer — against…

MANILA, Philippines – With recent forecasts of major world economies moving out of recession and the revised outlook on the US economy, the Philippine government has become even more confident the country would avoid a recession this year.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said 900 local government units (LGUs) nationwide have “committed” to establish materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in their respective barangays in compliance with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (Republic Act 9003), as the agency concluded its “Zero Basura” caravan in Davao City last week.

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Manuel Villar has emerged as the top choice of Filipinos to be the next president in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

MANILA, Philippines – High-level corruption in the Philippines abound while cronyism and influence peddling are rife in business and government, according to a new country report of the Freedom House.

Under Article 282 (b) of the Labor Code, the services of a regular employee may be terminated for gross and habitual negligence. This case of Mat illustrates the meaning of gross negligence and answers the issue of whether an employee can be dismissed for gross negligence even if it is not habitual.

MANILA, Philippines – The World Bank is funding a a comprehensive study that will measure PC and Internet penetration in the Philippines.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has signed Department of Education Order 74 nullifying the 35-year-old bilingual directive laid down in the 1970s on English and Filipino as the only languages of instruction. Neither of the languages is the first language (L1) of most Filipinos.

The Philippines can make use of the booming cosmetic surgery industry to bolster government’s campaign to make the country a hub for medical tourism.

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CEBU, Philippines – Five former teachers of Queenship of Mary School located in Lower Calajoan, Minglanilla, Cebu have filed a complaint against the school before the Department of Education alleging that the school has been operating without permit.

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine National Police chief director General Jesus Versoza has ordered an investigation into the alleged abduction and torture of Filipino-American activist Melissa Roxas.

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo signed into law yesterday Republic Act 9679 strengthening the Home Development Mutual Fund or the Pag-IBIG Fund, making it more responsive to the housing needs of Filipinos, including overseas workers.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday reported that local pharmaceutical companies are set to voluntarily reduce prices of 23 anti-cancer and other essential drugs.