Monthly Archives: September 2010

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) said the country needs to institutionalize intervention programs on mental health, especially when 60 percent of suicides in the world occur in Asia. In the Philippines, mental illness remains the third most common form of disability, based on a survey conducted by the National Statistics Office in…

MANILA, Philippines – Contrary to claims made by critics that it has not accomplished anything, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) said it has “always been ahead of its mandate despite some budgetary setbacks.” CCC Secretary Heherson Alvarez said that in fact, the commission “is ready to do battle with climate change, nearly completing the country’s…

MANILA, Philippines — The Filipino way is for children to look after their parents when they can no longer take care of themselves. But not all elderly Filipinos are so lucky. Hundreds of them, perhaps more, have been abandoned by their children when they reached the twilight age of sickness, weakness, and dependence.

And the work is ‘less toxic’ too MANILA, Philippines—Among the allied medical professions in the Philippines, their field is not as popular as nursing. But radiologic technicians like Arnold and Agnes Llegado have a secret they want to share: Compared to nursing, the rad tech’s job is “less toxic”—and the pay (in some countries) is…

(The following is excerpted from a paper delivered at the Ramon Magsaysay Award lecture series.) POVERTY and scarcity are proverbial constraints invoked to account for mediocrity in the education and training of the youth.

WASHINGTON — The World Economic Forum (WEF) has ranked the Philippines 85th out of 139 economies polled in its the Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011. Last year the Philippines ranked 87th in the Global Competitiveness Index among 133 economies.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

“Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras was given a bum steer,” said Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone after Almendras made an “erroneous” presentation the other day at the committee on appropriations that 100 percent of all barangays in the Visayas are already energized.

P6 billion is needed annually to provide a monthly subsistence pension to all Filipino senior citizens. But only a small fraction of that amount is available for 2011, the social welfare agency admitted on Saturday. Amid grumblings from some senior citizens’ groups, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) sought understanding for its “selective”…

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

The Philippines has the highest incidence of depression in Southeast Asia. In 2004, over 4.5 million cases of depression were reported in the country. Three percent of Filipinos are clinically diagnosed as depressed. Today, 8.27 million Filipinos suffer from some form of mental disorder, including depression.

With the start of the “ber” months, a toxic watchdog has called on the authorities to test toys for harmful chemicals to ensure that only safe toys are offered for sale in the build-up toward Christmas gift-giving.

DAVAO CITY—The Mindanao Fruit Industry Council (MinFruit) here has asked Malacañang to devise a policy that would approximate the generic drugs law in procuring agricultural chemical inputs to bring their prices sharply down and make agricultural products more affordable for consumers.

PHILIPPINE government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCS) have recently been in the limelight on the issue of the compensation of their respective boards and management who are largely appointed by the incumbent administration and the measures of their performance.  By the term “government-owned or -controlled corporation,” straightaway there are many issues that come to the fore…

Next week, our country will be hosting the Mining Philippines 2010 Conference and Exhibit which targets CEOs and managers of mining companies, heads of exploration projects, investors and financiers, industry analysts and economists, service providers and suppliers and government regulators. Like a pimp, this conference will definitely entice prospective investors to covet our mines and…

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Edgardo J. Angara has deplored the steady decline in the literacy rates as well as the quality of basic education in the country.

We are an industry leader as a supplier to several food manufacturers. This may sound easy and too basic for most of our managers, but just the same, it appears that we just can’t avoid tardiness despite the fact that we have already suspended several employees. The trouble is that the suspensions became a self-inflicted…

Libby Sartain wrote in her book HR from the heart: Companies that want to encourage long-term relationships with their employees do everything they can do to help them build futures that count. This means not only comprehensive and easily affordable health care, but opportunities to build financial security, opportunities to provide for retirement income, and…

Demand for residential properties is likely to stay as long as interest rates remain in the low single digits, a real estate consultancy firm said. Jones Lang LaSalle Leechiu (JLLL) said the supply of residential units is “just right” for the current level of housing demand as the low interest rates make condominiums more accessible…

MANILA, Philippines—The energy chief has himself admitted that he was in the dark about the actual extent of the government’s electrification program.

Editor’s note: The fifth part of this series discussed how direct subsidy programs of the government for the poor may be flawed, and how the implementation of the PhilHealth program is lagging because of lack of funds on the part of local governments, among others. Last of six parts Last year, the National Economic and…

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The newly unionized workers of Radio Mindanao Network-Davao picketed their radio station on Thursday to protest the dismissal of station manager Dodong Solis.

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit has found that the continuous granting of the P20,000 per diem given per meeting to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s board of directors in 2009 did not have permission from the Office of the President.

CEBU, Philippines – Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III is alarmed by the program implemented by the Department of Health (DOH) providing syringes to drug users hoping to pre-vent the spread of the dreaded HIV-AIDS.

MANILA, Philippines—A group of medical practitioners, finding the P32 billion proposed national budget for health too small, has put forward an alternative P90-billion spending plan for the Department of Health (DOH).

MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino has referred the wish list of local businessmen to the Cabinet and other agencies for possible action, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said.

MANILA, Philippines – Former housing officials, including some members of the board of trustees of the Pag-ibig Fund, received condominium units from troubled real estate developer Globe Asiatique, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s personal consumption expenditures (PCE), which comprised 80.5 percent of total expenditures, rose slightly in 2009 from the previous year’s level, National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) secretary general Romulo Virola said in a report.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced yesterday that it would continue to extend cash assistance to the poorest of the poor as part of the poverty reduction program of President Aquino.

MANILA, Philippines – Aside from the P200-million pork barrel fund for each senator in the 2011 national budget, lawmakers who were appointed to chair the 34 oversight and ad hoc committees in the Senate will get millions of pesos in additional funds.