Monthly Archives: June 2011

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport) is strongly supporting the proposed amendatory law making incentives to micro enterprises more accessible than those offered by the Baranggay Micro Enterprise Act of 2002.

(Statement of Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz of the Department of Labor and Employment, Republic of the Philippines at the 100th  Session of the International Labor Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, June, 2011.)

(Reuters) – Austerity measures being adopted by many industrialized world governments in the wake of the 2008-09 financial crisis are undermining economic recovery, a United Nations report said on Wednesday.

DESPITE its meeting with Sugar Regulatory Administrator Gina Bautista Martin, Sugar Watch on Wednesday will push through with its rally, which will launch the boycott of Coca-Cola products.

THE AGRICULTURE department plans to partner with the Tourism department to come up with a program that will help farmers take advantage of opportunities in agri-tourism and increase their incomes, an official said yesterday.

WASHINGTON — The World Bank on Tuesday launched a new agricultural hedging tool to help farmers in developing countries curb increasing food price volatility.

Gov’t expects lower budget gap of P286B next year NO NEW TAXES. The Aquino administration will propose no new tax measures next year but is still confident that it can lessen the budget deficit. Malacañang will not push for new tax measures in 2012 despite increasing the national budget next year to P1.8 trillion. An…

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday told Asian nations “to take radical steps” to increase efficiency and invest in renewable energy amid a “looming” crisis.

AFP – The World Health Organisation published Tuesday new global guidelines for expanding AIDS treatment, focusing for the first time on homosexuals, who face discrimination in many countries.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A repair station in the Philippines that services planes for nearly 50 airlines around the world has shown a pattern of stubborn problems that safety experts say underscore concerns about the airline industry’s outsourcing of maintenance to facilities in developing countries.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

DIGOS CITY – Fascination for guns and the prospects of carrying one are among the main reasons children are being lured to the communist movement, the local military commander said.

BERN, Switzerland- A Filipino sculptor from Ifugao won the top two prizes in an international sculpture symposium which ended Sunday in Switzerland.

MANILA, Philippines – Crimes and complaints involving the popular social networking site Facebook are rising this year, the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said Wednesday.

WHO can blame those who have given up on the pathological corruption that permeates every level of government bureaucracy? Government corruption is widespread and commonplace. It creeps into the most inconspicuous government bureau.

Sen. Edgardo Angara reiterated his strong objection to Republic Act 9136, the measure extending the term of the Joint Congressional Power Commission (JCPC), which is scheduled to be signed into law today.

THE House of Representatives on third and final reading have approved a five percent discount for poor students in the secondary and tertiary levels.

Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile yesterday reiterated calls for Malacañang to review the implementation of the K+12 program as he pushed new rules that would make school administrators more accountable for the quality of education both in public and private schools throughout the country.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday renewed its call to all remaining Filipinos in strife-torn Yemen to leave as tension in the Middle East state continues to escalate.

SINGAPORE: There is a “strong potential” that persistently high oil prices could derail the global economic recovery, the International Energy Agency (IEA) chief economist warned Tuesday.

The two legislative leaders of the country – Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Speaker of the House Feliciano Belmonte Jr. – agreed to place on the legislative agenda this year the amendment of restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution. If this enterprise succeeds, it will be a momentous achievement for the nation.

There is a website soliciting signatures for the cause of making foreign aid programs transparent. The website, www. makeaidtransparent.com points out that citizens, of donor as well as receiving countries, have a right to know how aid money is being spent. Citizens of donor countries are paying hard earned money as taxes to finance foreign…

MANILA, Philippines – Two Mindanao lawmakers urged the Bureau of Immigration yesterday to grant special visas to investors and expatriate workers in Japan who are relocating here.

MANILA, Philippines – Spending on social services and infrastructure will be the priority in the government’s 2012 budget, Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad said yesterday as he expressed optimism President Aquino would approve next year’s financing plan.

Finally, nearly four years after the passage of the Renewable Energy Act, the Congress-approved law gets off the ground, that is, on a hopeful note. President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III unveiled his administration’s roadmap to move the Philippines toward a more sustainable use of clean or “green” energy in the ceremonial launch of the National…

Overweight is a growing concern among urbanites. They size up others’ figures and ask, “How come you’ve slimmed down and I can’t; what diet are you on?” A strange reply I got recently is the GM (General Motors) Diet. Supposedly you can lose 10-17 pounds in seven days.

MANILA, Philippines –  President Aquino signed into law yesterday the bills extending for 10 years the subsidy on electricity charges for poor households, providing mandatory immunization to infants and children, and lifting the prohibition for women night workers.

MANILA, Philippines –  President Aquino’s public approval rating continues to drop as he prepares to mark his first year in office. A recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed the President’s net rating slipping from a record high of 64 in November last year to 46 this month, with 64 percent of Filipinos…

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO held a side event during the conference (on 22 June at 13:00) to highlight the impact of pesticide exposure on children, and child labourers in particular. ILO News spoke to Paola Termine, ILO Technical specialist on child labour in agriculture, who is…

Representative Juan Edgardo Angara on Wednesday hailed President Benigno Aquino III’s move to sign into law the measure rationalizing nightwork prohibition on women workers