Monthly Archives: January 2010

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday said the number of registered voters for the 2010 national elections has breached the 50-million threshold even without the addition of the December registrants, which reached more than 258,000.

MANILA, Philippines – Some of the newly delivered precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to be used in the upcoming elections have failed in initial test, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) confirmed yesterday.

GENEVA – ONE in 10 of the some 130 million births around the world each year is premature, the vast majority in poorer countries where chances of survival are low, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday.

Members of the Vicmico Industrial Workers’ Association will stage a picket in front of the Department of Labor and Employment provincial office in Bacolod City tomorrow, an official of VIWA said yesterday.

Republika ng Pilipinas KAGAWARAN NG KATARUNGAN DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE M a n i l a DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR NO. 98 IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION ACT OF 2004. Whereas, pursuant to Section 52 of Republic Act No. 9285, otherwise known as the “Alternative Dispute Resolution Act of 2004″ (ADR Act”), the Secretary…

FIFTY years ago, this was the time for monetizing the sugar quedans. It was the middle of the milling season and the planters knew, more or less, the total tonnage of the year’s sugar crop. Then, the big planters would go to the usual destination, the car showrooms to order the latest models. Then, to…

To ensure that all the election paraphernalia and the 82,200 precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines will be delivered to their destinations on time, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is forming a technical working group (TWG) that will outline plans for such poll undertakings.

BEIJING (Reuters) – Factories in Asia stepped up production in December, with China’s output growing at its fastest pace on record, suggesting economic activity is gathering pace in the region that is leading the global recovery. China Manufacturing activity hit a seven-month peak in India last month and it also rose in South Korea, where…

The US manufacturing sector grew at its fastest pace in nearly four years in December, its fifth consecutive month of expansion, adding to hopes of economic improvement in 2010.

MANILA, Philippines – The nationwide inflation rate rose to an eight-month high of 4.4 percent in December due to higher oil and food prices, the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported yesterday.

Of the many predictions made concerning the new year, probably one of the most sobering has experts saying that the Philippine population will reach 94 million in 2010. The reckoning was made based on an estimated increase of two million new births during the period, at a growth rate of roughly 2 percent annually.

WORKERS will have nine long weekends this year under Proclamation 1841, which lists all the regular and special holidays for 2010.

MANILA, Philippines – The Liberal Party tandem of Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II has topped anew a recent nationwide pre-election survey conducted by an independent group.

The Citigroup sees the Philippine economy growing 3.7 percent this year, driven mainly by election spending, higher exports growth and inventory restocking.

MANILA, Philippines – Gay party-list group Ang Ladlad is still intent on asking the Supreme Court (SC) to review the case for their party-list accreditation.

MANILA, Philippines – In the wake of a global economic crisis that brought the Philippines to its knees, the country is one with the world in looking forward to a recovery in 2010. And the year’s main event—the national elections—can’t come at a better time.

SINGAPORE – Asia is leading the world out of global recession, but the financial crisis may yet have a dangerous sting in the tail — the risk of social unrest as unemployment and inequality rise even as economies recover.

AMELITA, 33 YEARS OLD, USED to work as a server in a restaurant, while her 59-year-old husband was a taxi driver. Between them, the couple managed to save enough to begin building a house on a vacant piece of land.

MANILA, Philippines — Police records show that in 2009, the Philippines had a higher crime solution rate compared to other countries like United States and Japan.

MANILA, Philippines—A Greek court directed the owner of MV Aetea Sierra to pay higher salaries to its crew that includes 12 Filipinos, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement Monday.

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) drew flak on Monday for allegedly allowing the suspects in the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao province last Nov. 23 to live like kings while under detention at the police headquarters in General Santos City.

MANILA, Philippines — The United States and South Korea have lifted travel limits against people with HIV from entering the two countries, it was learned Tuesday.

global imbalances, read here

MANILA, Philippines – Agrarian reform beneficiaries in Davao will be the most affected sector if the ban on aerial spraying in banana plantations pushes through.

So, did you pig out or throw diet caution to the wind during the holidays? And now, it’s time to repent and do penance — it’s do or diet! After all, all you want for the new year is a healthy new you. While you’re at it, here’s absorbing food for thought from Yahoo! Shine…

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino nurses, caregivers and factory workers can look forward to more jobs in Japan and South Korea.

MANILA, Philippines – The government is open to moving the privatization of various real estate properties including the Bilibid property in Muntinlupa to 2011 to prioritize the sale of big-ticket items this year, a Finance official said yesterday.

Last Aug. 14, 2009, yet another free trade agreement (FTA) that would shape the course of trade in the Philippines, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and India took flight from Bangkok. As with the case of FTAs preceding it, the event took place without much fanfare. ASEAN Trade Ministers signed on to the…

MANILA, Philippines – Microfinance enjoyed strong growth in financing from a widening pool of donors and investors last year, according to the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP).

MANILA, Philippines – Another round of mergers, acquisitions and consolidations is expected to occur in 2010, albeit not as grand as the previous years.