The Philippines dropped 16 notches in the latest World Economic Forum (WEF) World Competitiveness Report to No. 87 out of 133 countries. Singapore ranked No. 3, Malaysia 24th, Thailand 36th, and Indonesia at 54th. The Philippines was at the bottom in a list of 23 Asian countries in the earlier World Bank competitiveness survey.
Reasons for the big drop are again corruption, inefficient governance and poor infrastructure. Good examples of these are, among others, the gross corruption in Road Board projects, World Bank financed road projects in the DPWH, and the continuing questionable transactions in the DoTC, especially airport construction and approval of Marina licenses for shipping.
The top 10 most corrupt and inefficient government offices are:
1) DPWH; 2) DoTC; 3) Department of Agriculture; 4) Philippine National Police; 5) Bureau of Customs; 6) Department of Education; 7) Department of Environment and Natural Resources; 8) Pagcor; 9) BIR; and 10) Ombudsman.
Among the least corrupt are: 1) Department of Tourism; 2) BCDA; 3) DoST; 4) Peza; 5) Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas; 6) Commission on Human Rights (CHR); 7) Department of Foreign Affairs; 8) DSWD; 9) Office of the Press Secretary; 10) PDEA.
Neutral but improved are Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) the DND/AFP and the Commission on Higher Education (Ched).
Meanwhile, Philippine exports dropped 25.4 percent year on year in July while car sales for August dropped for the first time by 8.8 percent. Many stores and restaurants have closed down. With business still bad, there will be fewer substantial contributors to candidates. –Amb. Ernesto Maceda, Daily Tribune
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
“Safety and health at work every day!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations against serious violations of Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government
(NUG) of Myanmar.
Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideos
Monthly Observances:
March – Women’s Role in History Month
April – Month of Planet Earth
Weekly Observances:
Last Week of March: Protection and Gender Fair Treatment of the Girl Child Week
Last Week of April – World Immunization Week
Daily Observances:
Mar 25 – International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transallantic Slave Trade
Mar 27– Earth Hour
Apr 21 – Civil Service Day
Apr 22 – World Earth Day
Apr 28 – World Day for Safety and Health at Work
