Monthly Archives: May 2011

THIS question is by now ancient but it is not for one with 5th grade smarts. You need context to get this one right. Whose phone call did the late strongman Marcos always return even if this particular caller was far, far detached from the political, military and business circles of Marcos? And was neither…

MANILA, Philippines – The government is preparing a five-year Garment Plan in an attempt to revive the ailing local garments industry by developing new markets like the European Union.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) sold P9.6 billion worth of 91, 182 and 364-day Treasury bills (T-bills) in an auction yesterday at a lower cost for the short-term debt.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz yesterday said that the National Capital Region Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board will meet anew on May 9 to deliberate on how much and in what form would the wage increase be given after both the government and the private sectors failed to come out a decision in yesterday’s meeting.

A senior member of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives yesterday slammed President Aquino anew, this time for what he termed as a lack of “concrete concrete, resolute and progressive labor policy” while at the same time claiming as credit for the new wage hike for government employees slated to be implemented in…

MANILA, Philippines — Following an investigation on discarded mercury-containing lamps at a garbage transfer station in Tondo, Manila, green groups appealed to the government to come up with an effective mechanism on the collection of spent fluorescent lamps that continue to pose threats to human health and environment.

The Vice-Chair of the Indonesian National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Nurkholis, today called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to support a UN investigation into business and human rights violations in Burma. Mr. Nurkholis made his statement as a member of the experts panel at regional civil society’s first Public Hearing on Corporate…

METRO MANILA’S private sector workers can look forward to a daily minimum wage adjustment next week, a Labor department official yesterday said.

CEBU, May 2 (PIA)– Labor groups in Central Visayas were frustrated after being told that government can only offer non-wage benefits in time for the May 01 Labor Day.

BAGUIO City is in the top ten preferred destinations of those in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, particularly for call centers. Baguio was ranked 9th in the new wave cities, or cities where there is a mushrooming of call centers.

Message from a call center agent: Good day sir. I’m having problems because in march my logins were disabled and I only got my logins this week (after 1-1/2 months). I  asked my superiors what happened because I’m always working overtime to sustain my family’s needs. The timing for this issue is not good because…

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

The continuing price increases in electronic and petroleum products had led to higher imports payments and consequently rising commodity prices but these are expected to be short-term, The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said.

A business group expressed concerns yesterday on the implementation of the proposed four-day workweek for all government offices saying this will unnecessarily result in higher costs of doing business due to expected delays in approval of permits, licenses, passports, among others.

THE Philippines’ second-biggest auto assembler will cut its production by about two-fifths this month because of the lack of important vehicle parts from Japan.

THE implementation of the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Act received a major boost after the corporate regulator amended certain provisions of its implementing rules and regulations, including the increase in the minimum public ownership requirement.

At least 62 criminal incidents, mostly extortion activities, were attributed to the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in some pro

Lawmakers yesterday renewed their call for House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte to reconsider his position not to repeal or amend Republic Act (RA) No. 8479 or the Oil Deregulation Law (Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998).

Metro Manila workers first to get pay increase PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino 3rd instructed on Sunday the Regional Wage Tripartite Boards to fast track the process for wage hikes, adding that tension between workers and management is building up because of the pending wage hike petitions.

Meanwhile, more than 3,000 members of the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines marched from the Department of Labor and Employment grounds to the Vitcom Welfare Center in Pier 1 to commemorate Labor Day.

Thousands of workers and activists took to the streets yesterday to protest the government’s labor export policy and to demand higher wages amid rising prices of basic commodities as a major labor group said the series of protests may lead to the possibility of targeting the ouster of President Aquino.

For many of our countrymen, a job that will feed them and their families and provide for a decent roof above their heads is the first step to fighting poverty. And for those who already have jobs, seeking higher wages is the next step to improving their standard of living.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will refresh its 2011 inflation forecast this week to determine whether there is a need to further change its monetary policy stance in light of the escalating prices of global oil and food, and their possible second round effects.

As we watched the beatification rites of Pope John Paul II yesterday, memories of his visits in 1981 and 1995 vividly came back. Most memorable in the 1981 visit was our salutation of “Totus Tuos” signifying our complete surrender to God as represented by his Vicar on earth truly personified by Pope John Paul II.…

MANILA, Philippines –  Militant labor groups pressed yesterday for a P125 across-the-board wage increase, rejecting President Aquino’s Labor Day package of non-wage benefits as merely “band-aid solutions.”

MANILA, Philippines –  As promised, here’s good news for the 1.1 million government workers. Starting June 1 – or a month ahead of schedule – all employees and officials of the government will be getting the third tranche of their salary increase pursuant to the Salary Standardization Law III (SSL III), President Aquino revealed yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – Now that the impeachment trial of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez is out of the picture, the Senate can focus on passing laws, including the reproductive health (RH) bill. Sen. Pia Cayetano, chair of the Senate committees on health and demography, and youth, women and family relations, said all sides must be heard on…

PRIVATE sector employees in Metro Manila will get a wage increase next week and those in the provinces within the month, President Benigno Aquino III said Sunday.

LABOR DAY RITES MANILA, Philippines—In a Labor Day speech, President Benigno Aquino III Sunday said he expected minimum wage earners in Metro Manila to get a pay raise by next week, and the rest of them across the country within the month.

AN estimated 5,000 workers from different organizations joined a Labor Day rally in Cebu City and asked government agencies to help them gain a decent living wage.