Monthly Archives: January 2011

MANILA, Philippines – More Filipino nurses are likely to pass Japan’s licensure examination and get employed in that country this year, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The year 2010, which follows a year of destructive typhoons, became a challenge for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to mitigate the effects of natural disasters in the country.

The secret to an irresistible resume is to address the specific need of a specific job. A tailored resume has infinitely more impact than a one-size-fits-all. To write such a resume, first organize information under specific headings such as education, work experience, achievements, skills and activities. When everything is on paper, decide on the proper…

MANILA, Philippines—On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most alarming, the HIV-AIDS problem in the Philippines is now “five nationally.”

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Pia Cayetano vowed Sunday to push through with more public hearings this year on the controversial reproductive health (RH) bill even if the measure is not part of the priority legislative agenda of the current Senate leadership.

(First of Two Parts) MANILA, Philippines – If the majority of Filipinos are hopeful for a better 2011, it is also clear they want out of the “kulelat” (tailender) position to which the Philippines had been relegated during the Arroyo years. In its 2009 Human Development Index, the UN ranked the Philippines 105 out of…

MANILA, Philippines—Local telecommunication giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. has swiftly struck what was described by the company chief as a “solid and mutually acceptable” collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with its employees.

IN 2010, the economy of Central Luzon recovered from the previous year’s slump, according to the regional office of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

POWER DISCOUNTS for senior citizens will finally push through as the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) promises to pass final rules by this month.

THE SUSPENSION of allowances, bonuses and incentives at state-owned firms will be extended for a month after a deadline passed last Dec. 31, a Malacañang official said.

THE GOVERNMENT strategy for the local automotive industry will focus more on exploiting the domestic market rather than encouraging exports, a senior Trade department official said.

MANILA, Philippines – The heads of foreign diplomatic missions in the Philippines and international financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) see bright prospects for the country in 2011.

MANILA, Philippines – The Government Service Insurance System, the state-owned pension fund for government employees, has urged remitting agencies to comply with the increase in contributions to the Employees Compensation Insurance Fund (ECIF).

MANILA, Philippines – The forcible uprooting of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) eggplant planted at the UP Mindanao campus has earned the ire of academics and scientists who were appalled at what they describe as an “invasion,” saying it amounts to an “assault on the quest for truth.”

MANILA, Philippines – The local stock market had a dream run last year, rampaging to new record highs with many investors convinced that the global economy is on the mend and that emerging markets in Asia hold much promise.

The signing of the 2011 National Budget in Malacañang last December 27 is a great way for President Noynoy Aquino III (P-Noy) to start 2011 on the right note. In a way, the 2011 Reform Budget is P-Noy’s way of putting his money where he promised during the 2010 presidential campaign.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) figured prominently in the headlines in 2010 due primarily to two unfortunate incidents: the bloody hostage crisis at Rizal Park last Aug. 23 and the fire tragedy in Tuguegarao City last Dec. 19.

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s population is expected to balloon to 95.8 million this year, the Commission on Population (PopCom) said. The National Statistics Office has not yet released the results of the census conducted in May 2010 but the population for the past year was estimated at 94.01 million.

MANILA, Philippines—Employers in Malta , a small country in the Mediterranean , have expressed desire to hire Filipino caregivers, seafarers, and service industry workers, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said in a news release.

QUEZON CITY — It was originally a gabfest, but three delegates from the Philippines may have had enough of the talks and are itching for something more solid action from government delegates in the annual Global Forum for Migration and Development.

MANILA, Philippines – The auto industry was supposed to receive a boost this year as the government crafted a new Comprehensive Motor Vehicle Development Plan (CMVDP). The plan was simple enough – encourage more firms to manufacture vehicles locally rather than sell completely built imported units. After endless consultations, the Arroyo administration signed the CMVDP,…

MANILA, Philippines – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported that the country’s net foreign portfolio investments or ‘hot money’ hit a new record level of $4.4 billion as of the second week of December as capital flows continued to flood emerging market economies including the Philippines.

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang has started winding up the operations of the 10 agencies under the Office of the President abolished for duplication of functions.   

MANILA, Philippines – The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) was an agency rocked by leadership changes that was caused by politics and the presidential polls last May.

MANILA, Philippines – The year 2010 was a rare one that saw the election of an unlikely president, Benigno Aquino III, who won a six-year term to high office in the country’s first automated polls.

MANILA, Philippines – A top Catholic cleric called yesterday for an intensified effort to rid the country of graft and corruption in 2011.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday that employment prospects abroad remained bright for construction workers and other highly skilled Filipino workers in the coming year.

MANILA, Philippines — Eighty one percent of companies inspected by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) nationwide have complied with the labor standards for 2010.