Monthly Archives: October 2009

BANGKOK — The United States was heavily criticized Friday at the U.N. climate talks in Bangkok for failing to offer emission cuts or financing for developing countries – both considered crucial to reaching a global warming pact this year.

THE Philippine economy is expected to recover right away from the devastation wrought by Tropical Storm “Ondoy” and Typhoon “Pepeng” in recent weeks.

THE rehabilitation of the mothballed 630-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) may be highly feasible, based on the official verification reports submitted by Korea Electric Power Co. to National Power Corp.

News reported by our Reporter Maricel Burgonio on Saturday that according to the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) president, Jose Nograles, 103 out of the country’s 690 rural banks are undercapitalized (as of June 2009) should not make people begin thinking dark thoughts about the rural banking sector.

THE Philippines was named the best country in Asia and the third-best in the world in terms of promoting the microfinancing industry. This, officials said, was in recognition of public- and private-sector efforts to support micro-entrepreneurs.

The House of Representatives has approved on final reading the proposed law granting additional retirement and other benefits to members of the Judiciary.

The Supreme Court has been asked to put a stop to aerial spraying of pesticides and fungicides in banana plantations in Davao City.

While the watery floods killed and damaged hundreds of people in the Philippines, many of them children, another kind of flood is continuously destroying the innocent lives of children and youth. That’s the flood of child pornography coming into the Philippines and more of it made here with Filipino children being abused, videotaped and transmitted…

President Gloria Arroyo lifted the “state of calamity” imposed because of the menace of two destructive storms over the central and southern Philippines a week ago, an official said Saturday.

From here to 2010: A view of the Philippine economy I. Perspective Ondoy and Pepeng devastated many sectors in our economy, aggravating the destruction already brought about by the global recession. The recession brought down the 7.2-percent growth rate of Philippine GDP in 2007 to 3.8 percent in 2008 and threatened to do even worse…

MANILA, Philippines – Thinking of getting some documents from the civil registry of the Manila City Hall? Keep your fingers crossed and a blow dryer handy.

MANILA, Philippines—The Secretary General of ASEAN has called on the global community to act immediately on climate change issues to save the planet from irreversible damage due to global warming.

Residents of Davao City have filed a petition before the Supreme Court urging the high tribunal to order a stop to aerial spraying of pesticides and fungicides in banana plantations which they say pose a danger to their health.

These ending words from Rhett to Scarlet in the film classic Gone With the Wind fittingly summarizes the attitude of most males to the Reproductive Health, or RH bill Congress is deliberating on.

Here are the most common circumlocutions and their single-word equivalents:

STATE-OWNED Philippine National Railways (PNR) plans to privatize the operation and maintenance of the Caloocan to Alabang rail system and its Bicol line.

AS the government clears the debris generated by Typhoon Ondoy, the Philippines’ financial sector is beginning to see the extent of the damage on their balance sheet.

Jakarta – The 2015 deadline set by the United Nations Millennium Declaration to improve human development is fast approaching. Goals that 189 countries signed onto include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases, and ensuring environmental sustainability by…

BANGKOK – The two-week climate talks here reached a sour ending yesterday, with tension rising between developed and developing countries amid failure of government negotiators from around 190 nations to firmly agree on fundamentals for a treaty that would ensure continued restraint on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as support for mitigation and adaptation…

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Insurers and Reinsurers Association (PIRA) revealed yesterday that initial claims for losses related to tropical storm “Ondoy” have reached P11 billion.

MANILA, Philippines – Billions of pesos worth of loans are at risk of ending up in default due to the devastation wrought by tropical storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng.”

MANILA, Philippines – It would take nearly five months for floodwaters in communities around Laguna de Bay to recede even as over a million residents living around the lake continue to be at great risk of more destructive flooding if rains continue, officials warned yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The government is likely to miss its P30-billion revenue target from privatization this year because of poor investor appetite, a state-run think-tank said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The European Commission (EC) has extended €3.9-million (about P270-million) technical assistance to the Philippine government to address extra-legal or extra-judicial killings.

03 October 2009, Valenzuela City. –Two hundred forty-five (245) local union officers and members of four (4) companies who have fallen victims of harsh typhoon “Ondoy” benefitted from the relief operation held on 03 October 2009 in Valenzuela, Metro manila by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines and its political arm, the TUCP Party-List.

Compostela Valley, Philippines—The female “baylan” was at the midpoint of the ritual when she suddenly stopped. She felt something had perched on her arm and her chants fell to an abrupt crescendo.

LOCAL insurers are likely to get hit with more than $236 million (nearly P10.8 billion) in non-life claims alone from the devastating floods caused by storm Ondoy, an industry association said yesterday.

To best position IT operations for success, CIOs must strive to find sustainable reductions in fixed IT costs. Here’s how. Reducing IT costs while improving IT capabilities may appear to be a paradox. But by focusing on fixed IT costs and following a strategy of sustained cost reduction, organizations can invest in new capabilities and…

The US economist widely credited with having predicted the financial crisis has warned we are already “planting the seeds of the next crisis”. Nouriel Roubini told the BBC that he is concerned about the growing gap between the “bubbly and frothy” stock markets and the real economy.