Monthly Archives: October 2010

Speech: New Zealand Government The Future Shape of Regional Economic Integration in the Asia Pacific Region We appreciate the effort that the Japan Economic Foundation puts into these events. It is important to have opportunities for international level exchanges involving a wide range of stakeholders from outside of government. So I very much welcome this…

On 07 October 2010, World Day for Decent Work, Philippine unions pledged to take three priority actions –(a) implementing and monitoring productivity programs at the enterprise level, (b) campaign for living wage in partnership with global union federations and other like-minded organizations, and (c) FP/RH and HIV and AIDS education at the workplace –as workers’…

MANILA, Philippines – The Australian government has set aside some P2 billion this year for the Aquino administration’s basic education reform agenda. The development aid is part of Canberra’s “significant ongoing support for education in the Philippines,” according to Australian Ambassador to Manila Rod Smith.

“Innovation is a new way of doing things that results in positive change,” writes Carmine Gallo, author of a new book called The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs: Insanely Different Principles for Breakthrough Success (McGraw-Hill). Innovative businesses and entrepreneurs drive the kind of job creation needed to power us out of the lingering economic doldrums.…

MANILA, Philippines—The Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica) has signed an agreement with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) and the Department of National Defense for the construction of a Human Resource Development Training Center in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

MANILA, Philippines—More than 150 minors, mostly from the indigenous community of Mandaya in Davao Oriental, are involved in dangerous mining work in Compostela Valley, the Department of Labor and Employment said.

NAGA CITY—Retired judges in Bicol are clamoring for the immediate implementation of Republic Act No. 99461 which grants additional retirement, survivorship and other benefits to judiciary members.

MALACAÑANG yesterday vowed to adopt policies and programs to promote the growth of cooperatives in the country.

NET FOREIGN PORTFOLIO investment inflows grew six times as of Sept. 24, latest available central bank data showed. Specifically, these investments — also known as “hot money” for the ease with which they enter and exit local markets — posted a net inflow of $1.333 billion as of Sept. 24, six times bigger than the…

In last week’s column, we previewed the top 10 business risks culled across 14 industries globally by Ernst & Young and featured in its 2010 Business Risk Report.

THE PHILIPPINES should pursue revenue reforms, increase spending on social services and infrastructure as well as improve the business environment to sustain growth, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) official said.

Coop Life Insurance and Mutual Benefit Services (CLIMBS), a cooperative group comprising 1,501 local insurers, partnered with German reinsuirer Munich Re and with the Deutsche Gessellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GTZ) to strengthen its reinsurance mechanism which will allow cooperatives in the Philippines offering microinsurance to survive post-disaster microinsurance claims.

The country’s biggest business group yesterday warned of more crippling power outages unless plants were upgraded and more investment in the sector was allowed to go ahead.

Today, the country commemorates the naval victories of the Spanish and Filipinos against the marauding Dutch armies that threatened our country with hegemony and eventually dislodging the Catholic religion with the latter’s predominant Protestant religious conquest in 1646. Caught by surprise and in near panic, the Spanish mobilized in haste two trading galleon ships and…

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz yesterday said that their Regional office in Davao (Region 11) has formulated an action plan which aims to eliminate child labor problem in the mines of Maragusan, Compostela Valley.

Additional representation for teachers in the board of the state-pension fund, Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), is being pushed by Sen. Ralph Recto in the hope of helping and resolving concerning their welfare especially the alleged non-remittance of their premiums estimated at P6 billion.

WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s no relief from the jobs crisis — for everyday Americans or lawmakers facing the midterm elections. The most rampant layoffs of teachers and other local government workers in nearly three decades more than offset weak hiring in the private sector in September, resulting in a net loss of 95,000 jobs. Unemployment…

MANILA, Philippines—A professor who lived near Cochin in India was diagnosed with six blocks in his heart arteries some years ago. He was ordered by his doctors to undergo a bypass surgery. Instead, his friends and family checked him into a Nature Cure Yogashram in Kerala.

PERSIDA ACOSTA Dear PAO, I have been working in a company for 10 years now. I have SSS and Philhealth. My problem is until now the policy of this company is “no work no pay.” Because of that, I want to look for another job. If I am going to resign from the company, can…

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is urging the government to review and adopt measures and possible alternatives in response to a looming power crisis.

Lagi nating sinasabi ang katagang, “May malasakit” upang purihin ang isang taong kusang-loob na tumutulong sa kapwa taong nahihirapan sa buhay o di kaya’y sumasagip sa kapwa taong nasa bingit ng kapahamakan. “Walang kaluluwa!” ang ipinararatang natin pag tayo’y nasusuklam sa isang taon ay walang hunos-diling namiminsala o namamaslang ng kapwa.

MANILA, Philippines – A US-based engineering company is convincing the Philippine government to reconsider its planned scrapping of the rehabilitation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

Supreme Court rules 14-0 to favor RA 9372 The controversial Anti-Terrorism Law has been declared legal and constitutional by the Supreme Court (SC). With a unanimous vote of 14-0, the High Court en banc junked all the six consolidated petitions seeking to declare as unconstitutional Republic Act (RA) 9372 or the Human Security Act of…

MANILA, Philippines – The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) yesterday denied reports that four Filipino nurses were gang-raped in Saudi Arabia.

SOME 600 representatives from 53 countries gathered yesterday to discuss ways to address Asia’s water needs as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) kicked off an international conference in Manila.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) on Monday said the government has to step up explaining the advantages of free trade agreements or FTAs to the private sector.

Tampakan project, the largest untapped copper and gold reserves in Southeast Asia, would continue to cause harm and disunity around the mining site especially now that President Benigno Aquino III has bolstered his support for mining, an environmental group said Monday.

Thirty-seven lawmakers, most of whom are allies of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, formally opposed on Monday the allocation of P21.9 billion to the conditional cash transfer program of the administration.

Contrary to past expectations, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras on Monday said that Luzon will begin experiencing energy shortages as early as next year.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman yesterday said the government will start distribution of the P500 pension for the marginalized elderly this coming 2011.