Monthly Archives: June 2012

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – The government is working closely with the local officials as well as other stakeholders to curb the increasing number of Filipinos who have been infected by the dreaded HIV and AIDS, a senior government official said today.

We are about to celebrate our Independence Day once again. But there are millions of Filipinos who are jobless, homeless and hopeless. Are these poor people really free? What do they care about political issues like the sovereignty of the Republic, if there is no assurance of food for their family today? What matters most…

In 2004, the Department of Education tried to add one year to the Philippines’ basic education curriculum, but was stopped by massive protests from teachers, students and parents. Last Monday, despite more protests against the K-12 plan, which adds two years to basic education in the country, it went on with the implementation of the…

At least 13.9 million Filipinos are single parents who carry the burden of raising their family by themselves. On This premise, a party-list lawmaker, Rep. Carol Jayne Lopez has asked President Aquino to certify as urgent a bill proposing amendments to the Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2002.

Miners should expect to pay higher occupational and application fees of up to a “thousandfold more” under the new mining policy recently submitted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to the Office of the President, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said on Friday.

Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo has expressed optimism about reducing trade barriers and has vowed that the government will continue efforts to improve the business environment in the country.

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CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines – Amid uncertainties posed by climate change worldwide, the creation of a People’s Survival Fund (PSF) that will get a P1-billion budget yearly looms, after the congressional bicameral committee ironed out the law for it before Congress recessed.

‘IT’S VAGINA.’ Sen Pia Cayetano explains the importance of sex education and the RH bill on Rappler’s #TalkThursday. MANILA, Philippines – Flower? What flower? Even as a child, Reproductive Health (RH) bill sponsor Sen Pia Cayetano knew her sex education.

Pampanga, June 8 (PIA) — “Health and safety will not come about by waving a magic wand, it requires workers to be equipped with the necessary know-how and expertise so as to change the way things are done at the workplace.”

Pampanga, June 8 (PIA) — The recent accidents in construction sites in the country has bolstered the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to be more vigilant and strict in monitoring compliance levels with labor standards.

Tonight, writer and actor, Mike Daisey, was supposed to bring his one-man show, “Teching in India,” to the Spoleto stage, at the Emmett Robinson Theater. In recounting his travels across the Indian subcontinent, he was supposed to shine a light on the little-understood and often-misrepresented world of curry houses, prop shops and call centers that…

Quietly, a draft House Bill is being discussed in a technical working group in the House of Representatives, and is now in its third reading. The bill is titled, “An Act Promoting a Comprehensive Program on Breastfeeding Practices and Regulating the Trade, Marketing and Promotions of Certain foods for Infants and Children.”

7 June 2012 -The Philippine Government through Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban B. Conejos, Jr. pressed for the protection of, and assistance to migrants, irrespective of their migration status.

It’s always refreshing when the bad guys lose and the good prevail. In the credit card business, that’s exactly what happened when the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act became effective in July 2010. Gone was the ability of credit card issuers to raise consumers’ rates willy-nilly, tacking on fees without prior notice, along…

A VISITING expert on coral reefs on Tuesday warned that coral bleaching, a phenomenon associated with stress on corals, is expected to intensify in terms of scale and frequency along with global warming. Terry Hughes, Founding Director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies of the James Cook University underscored…

SOME 267 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are set to increase tuition this year, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said on Wednesday.

MANILA, Philippines—The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) commended the Philippines for progress in the country’s human rights records, an Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) human rights officer said Tuesday, despite continued violations as claimed by activist groups.

For the information and guidance of all concerned, enclosed is a copy of the Guidelines on the Department of Education’s Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Prevention and Control Policy and Program in the Workplace in compliance with the enclosed Republic Act (RA) No. 8504, also known as the “Philippine AIDS…

MANILA, Philippines – Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz yesterday said household helpers would soon become regular employed workers with the impending passage of the Kasambahay Bill in Congress.

Noting that prohibition of torture had been highlighted in the United Nations’ review of the Philippine human rights report, a group over the weekend called on the government to adopt the UN call to end all forms of inhuman acts in the country.

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino lawmakers are hoping to see a 15-year effort to guarantee the rights and benefits of kasambahays or household workers finally sealed into law this year.

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Human rights groups are calling on the government to adopt the recommendation of the United Nations Human Rights Council on absolute prohibition of torture during its universal periodic review held last week in Geneva.

WITH a P20-million infusion for scholarships, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority is opening doors of opportunity to beginners in the information technology industry.

Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) president and chief executive officer Dr. Eduardo Banzon yesterday said at least five million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their dependents are now covered by the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

MANILA, Philippines – The National Competitiveness Council (NCC) believes that the country’s improved economic performance in the first quarter is “an early indication” that the administration’s commitment to good governance “promotes growth across sectors.”

MANILA, Philippines – Investment banks and think tanks upgraded their economic growth forecasts for the Philippines after it posted a stronger-than-expected gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.4 percent in the first quarter of the year. New York-based think tank Global Source Partners upgraded the country’s GDP growth forecast to five percent instead of 4.5…