Monthly Archives: March 2010

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MASSIVE DISENFRANCHISEMENT PLUS ZOMBIE VOTERS EQUALS POLL FAILURE Zombie voters, or double registrants, estimated at three to five million people may be the least of the problems in the May 10 elections if computations of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) on the electoral process on the voting day itself prove true as the estimate…

MARGINALIZED: The Commission on Elections has given some 185 Party-list groups until March 26 to submit their nominees for congressional seats. The nominees will be checked for qualification and their names published if they qualify.

MANILA, Philippines – EmPower Consumers Alliance has raised doubts on government‘s pronouncements of a power supply crisis in Mindanao, saying it could be a play to force the use of nuclear energy and raise power rates.

BUTUAN CITY , Philippines  – Claiming that trade policies affect peace and development, New Zea-land Ambassador Andrew Matheson urged ASEAN member-countries, particularly the Philippines, to “give a closer look at the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA).”

MANILA, Philippines – More and more consumers are turning to their credit cards instead of using cash to pay for goods or services acquired as the bank’s credit card receivables went up 4.5 percent last year, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

MANILA, Philippines – Youth in three major universities explored what they can do to address climate change, something that experts in a knowledge-sharing forum in Silliman University in Dumaguete City say is already at Filipinos’ doorsteps.

MANILA, Philippines – A retired Filipina marine scientist was one of five women scientists to receive a prestigious international award.

THE government is considering a wage increase after inflation stayed above 4 percent for the third straight month, an official said Friday.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Worldwide sales of personal computers are expected to grow nearly 20 percent this year over 2009, with laptops driving new sales, research group Gartner said on Thursday.

MANILA, Philippines – Liberal Party (LP) bet Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has widened his lead over Sen. Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party (NP) in the latest survey by Pulse Asia on presidential candidates for the May 10 elections.

These days, we tend to communicate via the keyboard as much as we do verbally. Often, we’re in a hurry, quickly dashing off e-mails with typos, grammatical shortcuts (I’m being kind here), and that breezy, e.e. cummings, no-caps look. It’s expected. It’s no big deal. But other times, we try to invest a little care,…

The prices of 97 medicines were ordered halved last week—this is now the second batch after 43 were forced to halve prices last year. Overall, 140 types of drugs have been forced to lower prices despite that there were low-priced alternatives on the market. And it’s mostly the rich, not the poor, who benefit. It’s…

Two opposition lawmakers—Reps. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro and Rodolfo Plaza of Agusan del Sur—joined 120 exporters in expressing support for President Arroyo’s declaration of a power crisis in Mindanao and sought ways to end the daily outages up to 12 hours in some parts.

The power crisis, whether it’s just looming on the horizon or actually extant, must be solved—soon. Our country must have a stable, steady, reliable and green supply of electricity. Otherwise, we will take a very long time solving our mass poverty problem.

For 25 years Metrobank Foundation has been honoring quality tutors with cash, medals and public acclaim. The yearly prize has birthed similar tributes to exceptional artists, policemen and soldiers. Aptly the Foundation’s commitment to excellence was itself awarded recently. The Search for Outstanding Teachers won the 2010 Grand Anvil from the Public Relations Society of…

MANILA, Philippines – The Civil Service Commission (CSC) yesterday blamed the high casualty rate among Civil Service Examination (CSE) takers on their inability to pass parts of the tests that deal with analytical and mathematical skills.  

MANILA, Philippines – The country must strengthen its domestic base in order to be competitive in the world market, Trade Secretary Peter B. Favila said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The timing of the implementation of an exit strategy from an accommodative policy stance emerged as one of the major risks that could derail the recovery of the country’s domestic economy from a major slump last year, a top official of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said yesterday.

When ASEAN first embarked on formal engagement with the European Union 33 years ago, the relationship was typically between developed and developing economies – a carryover from colonial times. The EU represented some of the most advanced countries in the world, while ASEAN comprised struggling developing countries. ASEAN exports were predominantly raw materials, basic manufactured…

The party-list group Trade Union Congress Party (TUCP) is strongly opposing the proposed sale of the six Agus-Pulangi hydro power plants in Mindanao to the private sector.

The Social Security System (SSS) is ready to start on March 8 its new Text-SSS, an information service system that allows members to inquire on their number of contributions, loan eligibility and loan balance via text messages using their cellular phones.

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In the parish where I grew up in Quezon City, the latest scandal involves one of the local clerics making a choir member pregnant. The matter has been complicated by the fact that the young woman also has a boyfriend who is not a member of the clergy and who has since been threatening to…

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is mulling over a plan to ease business requirements for exporters registered with its incentive-giving agencies.

The Philippine central bank on Wednesday said that full-year inflation might come in lower than earlier forecast amid expectations of a moderate dry spell.

COMMENTARY The EDSA dream of gradually transforming an elite and moneyed Congress into one truly representing the interests of the people through the party list system is fast turning into a gruesome nightmare as we approach the 2010 elections.

The Philippines has expressed interest in acquiring two nuclear plants from South Korea, according to Rep. Mark Cojuangco of Pangasinan. “A letter submitted [to the South Korean government showed that President Gloria Arroyo] is interested [in the two nuclear plants being auctioned off],” Cojuangco said on Wednesday.