Monthly Archives: August 2012

Statistics from the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) shows that of the top 10 least poor cities/districts in the Philippines, nine districts can be found in the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila).

Since this column began on June 30, 2010, seven articles on disasters appeared on July 16 and September 29 that year; March 25, October 7 and 10, and December 21, 2011; and January 2 this year.

GROWTH in remittances sent home by Flipinos living and working abroad slowed to a 15-month low in June, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

AS the saying goes: when it rains, it pours. As a consequence of the monsoon rains and floods, and three discouraging economic news, the first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.4% has been virtually washed away. What remains is an economy that is facing a deflated growth prospect.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Did you know that our economy is even more Manila-centric now than it was 10 years ago? Our friends from Mindanao and the Visayas won’t be jumping for joy on this news, having long lamented that our economic activities are much too concentrated in Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces. Unfortunately, this geographically skewed nature…

The head of water regulating agency Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) rebutted allegations from disgruntled MWSS employees of continued anomalies in the agency saying that employees are protesting after the removal of their “illegal allowances” which the Commission on Audit (CoA) disallowed.

Government security forces still commit human rights violations as the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) continues to record cases of extra-judicial killings, torture, enforced disappearance and harassment against military and police.

FINANCE-RELATED agencies, along with the Tourism department, topped the latest Makati Business Club (MBC) Executive Outlook Survey on the performance of state offices and services, while some of those involved in infrastructure development, dispensing justice and law enforcement were ranked near the bottom of the list.

MANILA, Philippines – Monetary authorities have revised rules on outsourcing for banks, stressing that local lenders need to be responsible on risks that accompany such undertaking.

Manila, Philippines – Majority of business executives are dissatisfied with the government’s efforts to fight smuggling even as they found most government agencies to have shown satisfactory performance in the second year of President Aquino’s administration, according to a survey conducted by the Makati Business Club (MBC).

Recent natural disasters have left an indelible scar in our collective memory. Last week’s monsoon rains left us again trembling and whimpering. Late Monday night, as the rains poured in copious furious buckets, some of us decided to wait it out at the office till the weather calmed down. The rains hardly stopped — there…

In spite of a not-too-mild drop in popularity rating as seen by Social Weather Station in its latest survey, President Aquino is doing just fine, according to the perception of businessmen who were asked by the Makati Business Club about their outlook for 41 government agencies in the two years that the Chief Executive has…

MANILA, Philippines – The Reproductive Health (RH) bill, in various forms, has languished in Congress for 17 years, but the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) finds it unfair that the government is now “railroading” it.

Manila, Philippines – The Aquino administration is set to review the country’s medium-term development plan next year to incorporate mitigation measures against disasters and external shocks, Socioeoconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan yesterday said.

President Benigno Aquino III wants to win the Philippines a credit rating update and bring in more foreign investment, and he claims to have made progress in his campaign against corruption.

A THIRD wave of asbestos victims is being diagnosed with life-threatening diseases and most have one thing in common – they renovated their homes in the ’80s. A leading asbestos support group says home renovators doing works more than 20 years ago are among the new wave of people being diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases.

SEOUL – Discrimination against women hampers progress in alleviating world poverty and costs Asia-Pacific economies tens of billions of dollars a year, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday.

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s socioeconomic planning chief is pushing for the revival of local industries, saying that this is key to achieving the Aquino administration’s economic growth target of 8.5 percent by 2016.

Faculty members of the Ateneo de Manila University on Monday released a statement in support of House Bill 4244, or The Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development Bill.

The Departments of Budget and Management (DBM) and Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) claimed that the very controversial Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or conditional cash transfer (CCT) is not alms but a worthy assistance for the destitute who prefers not to work.

NINE government agencies, including the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Department of Finance (DOF) and Department of Tourism (DOT), received record-high satisfaction ratings from top business executives. But they gave the administration’s anti-smuggling campaign a failing grade.

What the country could build now is a floating grandstand. Then it will be very convenient for BS Aquino III, the other politicians, the DSWD and DILG secretary, the disaster officials, do-goody media networks, ad nausea to perform their center-staging for the national audience. This should be very welcome next year as it is election…

EMPLOYEES CHARGE CIRCUMVENTION OF NEW GOCC LAW Like paved roads that did not take long to be pockmarked with holes after the incessant rains, President Aquino’s straight path mantra had proven to be all hype as employees of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) charged yesterday that appointees of Aquino had continued with the…

MANILA, Philippines – Unlike the medal drought that Team Philippines experienced in the London Olympic Games, young Filipino math wizards bagged more than 200 medals in three different international competitions.

MANILA, Philippines – The Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) is bullish about the prospects of the country’s non-voice information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) segment as revenues surged 26 percent last year.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Finance (DOF) said it would study the proposal of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) seeking the adoption of a seven percent single levy for all mining operations in the Philippines.

Last week, we saw much damage caused by the southwest monsoon rains or hanging habagat. We realized once again that we had not really learned our lessons. Even after Ondoy! But we also witnessed the many brave men and women who risked their lives to help our kababayans in distress. And we saw that despite…

LIVES are being put in danger because homes are not being tested for asbestos before renovations begin, industry sources have warned. The Asbestos Contractors Group says people face serious disease, even death, because there are no laws making it mandatory for homeowners to conduct a hazardous materials audit before they start work. The group says…

CALL CENTER operations were barely disrupted last week even as floods in Metro Manila caused by torrential rain paralyzed many workers in the capital. “Operations were normal as of Wednesday. Although it was not 100% normal, operations were still ongoing,” Jojo J. Uligan, president of Contact Centers Association of the Philippines (CCAP) told BusinessWorld in…