Monthly Archives: October 2010

MANILA, Philippines—A coalition of major international environment groups has called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to take a stronger stand on climate change in the upcoming climate talks in Cancun, Mexico.

With the tenure of non-career executive service officials expiring on Sunday, six senators seek granting civil service eligibility to temporary government workers.

Nagoya, Japan – Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje said he plans to require mining firms operating in the Philippines to engage in the reforestation of denuded or degraded forest areas.

MANILA, Philippines – The House committee on Metro Manila development is set to conduct an inquiry into the bus operators’ illegal practices called “colorum,” “kabit,” and “buntis,” which make traffic gridlocks worse and contribute to deadly accidents in the metropolis.

Much has been written, for and against, the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program of the Arroyo government that President Aquino has decided to extend as a key component of his administration’s anti-poverty thrust, with an outlay of P21.2 billion in the 2011 national budget.

BANGKOK, THAILAND — Members of  human rights organizations in Southeast Asia  have given the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) a failing mark for its performance in its first year.

Makati – On Thursday, October 28, European Union – Philippines Justice Support Program (EPJUST) gathered government and non-government organizations at the Filipinas Heritage Library to discuss the situation of witness protection programs in the Philippines.

HONG KONG – Hong Kong on Wednesday set the city’s first minimum wage at 3.60 US dollars an hour, prompting anger from labour groups which criticised the amount as unreasonable amid a growing income gap.

MANILA, Philippines – A slow growth in remittance flows and export of Filipino workers overseas are expected to occur as the United States economy remains wanting in signs of a recovery on lackluster jobs data.

Some Fil-Ams are worried about the campaign rhetoric against business outsourcing the days leading up to next week’s midterm elections that could hurt countries like the Philippines.

The Philippines can get as much as $100 million in annual investment opportunities from the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its private sector focusing on infrastructure and aviation facilities.

THE Labor Department says a proposed two-tiered wage system is gaining support from workers and employers, but their representatives say obstacles remain before it can replace the mechanism for setting the minimum wage.

THE Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC), through its industry champions, presented a snapshot of its 400-page recommendations for the seven winning sectors that it believes can deliver to the country $75 billion in foreign direct investments (FDI) and generate 10 million jobs in 10 years.

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THE P21 BILLION budget for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or the 4Ps has passed the House of Representatives. This program for conditional cash transfers or CCTs now awaits full Congress approval. It is an ambitious project that has expanded rapidly.

CAN BUSINESS discipline truly help agricultural development? Definitely. First of all, agriculture cannot be sustainable unless it is profitable. Secondly, the business discipline necessary to sustain profits is required for optimal agricultural development.

Diversifying food conglomerate San Miguel Corp., one of the country’s largest companies, will lose its slot in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE)’s index of top-30 listed companies, when the bourse revamps the composition of the index on Nov. 8.

Our last column outlined the “power plunder” being inflicted on the people by the collusion between Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), as well as by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. and the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, with Therma Marine Inc. of the Aboitiz group.

Dear PAO, If an individual is working for a certain company as a contractual employee (five months only), is he entitled to receive a holiday pay even if he doesn’t report to work? Or will he get the double of his pay only when he reported to work? Please help me. Thanks. Mark

The Philippines ranked second overall in microfinance environment among all the developing countries in the world but still inferior in investment climate, according to The Economic Intelligence Unit index.

DAVAO CITY – The banana industry in Southern Mindanao has found a reason to ask government to exempt it from a P21 wage increase that the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board ordered for workers in the agriculture sector in the region.

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Concerned citizens are asking Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras and ERC Chairman Zeny Ducat to reject the petition for another round of rate increases by Meralco for its so-called distribution, supply and metering (DSM) charges.

IT IS quite obvious, from the way it seeks to double the magnitude of the previous administration’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps, that the P-Noy government has decided this will be its immediate response to poverty. Whether conditional cash transfers will also define its strategic approach to this nagging social problem is not yet…

Malacañang will not extend the stay of non-Career Executive Service Officials (CESO) in Career Executive Service (CES) positions when their stay expires on October 31, Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Director General Joel Villanueva yesterday called for the passage of proposed measures currently filed in Congress, which will promote, strengthen and institutionalize the ladderized education program (LEP) in the country.

Sen. Franklin Drilon has been harping about the excessive pay, allowances and bonuses of executives of Government owned and controlled Corporations (GOCC) and Government Finance Institutions (GFI), but in his own backyard, the Senate, some Senate executives have been found by the Commission on Audit (CoA) to be receiving excessive allowances and bonuses, with some…

THERE have been proposals to expand the coverage of state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and increase the benefits to its members, but the Audit Commission says PhilHealth has not been collecting enough premium payments, and that the government alone owes it P8.89 billion in premium contributions for the years 2001 to 2008.

MANILA, Philippines – The Aquino administration would need to continue improving on tax administration to strengthen revenues, the World Bank (WB) said in its quarterly update entitled “Stepping Up Reforms to Sustain Growth.”

MANILA, Philippines – A private think-tank has called on Congress to review the existing law on electric power reform to strike out a provision allowing cross ownership between generation and distribution companies.