Monthly Archives: September 2012

Anybody using popular social networks or who publishes online is now at risk of a long prison term Manila: An international rights watchdog said a new Philippine law governing the use of the Internet would also impact on freedom of expression as much it aims to address cybercrimes.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to lift its ban on Filipino maids after agreeing to a $400 monthly minimum wage, it has been reported. Philippine vice president Jejomar Binay, who oversees the welfare of Filipino overseas workers, said in a statement that the Gulf kingdom will lift the ban which was imposed in June 2011.

Many Filipino maids in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are still getting salaries lower than the minimum wage, a report of the news site Emirates 24/7 said. The report quoted Joana, a Filipina maid as saying she knows she is entitled to a higher wage but chose to accept a lower offer because…

The world economic crisis is expected to slow down the flow of aid in the next few years, with the Philippines expected to be among the most affected, a recent United Nations report showed.

2012 has been a shaky year for the Internet, notorious recently with the governments trying to crackdown on some of its excesses. Remember SOPA and PIPA and how the Internet managed to strike back such that the US government withdrew its push for those bills?

DoLE sees fewer abuse cases MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) expects fewer cases of abuse against Filipino maids following the Saudi Arabian government’s decision to lift the ban on the hiring of Filipino household service workers (HSWs) beginning October 1.

Crisis obstructing huge part of Europe is affecting the country but its effects are cushioned by the very strong domestic economy brought about by many factors, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

MANILA, Philippines – Several of the country’s top corporate executives and entrepreneurs gathered together yesterday for the Top Leaders Forum: Building an Asian Private Partnership to Make Corporations Safer Against Disasters at the SMX Convention Center.

Rules stipulate minimum wage of $400 (Dh1,468) for Filipina housemaids Who says Filipina maids are the most expensive in the country?

MANILA, Philippines — The notorious traffic on Metro Manila’s roads is not just a daily annoyance that millions of Filipinos have to live by. The country loses billions of dollars worth of human productivity, according to a transportation official.

MANILA – (UPDATE 2, 10:21 a.m.) Standard and Poor’s has raised its growth forecast for the Philippines, even as estimates for other Asian economies were kept or worse cut, amid a weak global economy.

Watch list of placement agencies to ensure rights and welfare of job applicants Dubai: Foreign placement agencies in the UAE looking to hire Filipino housemaids for employers in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah will only be able to do so if their track record is “clean”, Philippine labour attache…

MANILA, Philippines – The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) yesterday reported an increasing trend in the number of graduates and passers in licensure examination in what were previously identified as “unsubscribed” professions.

MANILA, Philippines – The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted the report on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

MANILA – The Philippines is likely to meet the Millennium Development Goal on reducing the number of children dying before reaching age of five by 2015, the National Statistics Office said on Monday.

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GAINS IN protecting human rights in the Philippines were noted by the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Foreign Affairs department said in a statement at the weekend.

(Updated 1:30 p.m.) Members of the US House of Representatives were “satisfied” with the efforts being undertaken by the Aquino administration in addressing human rights situation in the country, the Philippines’ top diplomat to Washington said Monday.

FEWER FILIPINO families consider themselves poor, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in a new report, dipping below 50% but still some ways off a record low revisited in March 2010.

MANILA, Philippines – Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are apprehensive over reports that the government of the United Arab Emirates will soon restrict the entry of non-professional foreign workers, including OFWs.

MANILA, Philippines — On paper, the Philippines possesses many laws and hews to several lofty international conventions to protect human rights and bring swift justice to violators.

Some governments unilaterally reformed collective bargaining arrangements at the height of the economic crisis. Reversing those decisions and providing policy support for collective bargaining would be key to recovery, according to the ILO.

The Philippines, which has historically never filtered online activity, has passed an act that outlaws a long list of offences including cybersex and libel, at the same time handing the government powers to block site access. President Benigno Aquino III has signed the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 — which criminalises a wide range of…

Even as the lives of many overseas Filipino workers (OFW) have significantly improved due to higher wages abroad, the success stories are often outweighed by dangers and threats — from physical abuse to racial discrimination to getting trapped in war-torn countries.

MANILA, Philippines – Manila has the “worst” brand value among 16 Asia-Pacific cities, according to the Location Branding 2012 report published by Public Affairs Asia and Ogilvy Public Relations. In the City Brand Rankings, Manila had the lowest score with 5.6, along with Jakarta (5.9).

FEARS THAT the fiscal incentives bill could be shelved were downplayed yesterday by a Cabinet official, who said legislators still had time to pass the priority measure before turning their focus to next year’s elections.

THE registration of fresh foreign direct investments (FDI) picked up in the second quarter of the year, increasing 9.4 percent to P44.1 billion compared to the same period last year.

Voice call centers continue to drive the outsourcing boom in the Philippines. The industry noted that there has been a growing demand for voice call services for banking, finance and insurance. Healthcare and gaming are slowly emerging new industries served by local call centers.

MANILA, Philippines – “50 shades of liability” is how Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila Law Dean Ernest Maceda described the layers of ambiguity in Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act. Unlike the bestselling book “50 Shades of Grey,” however, the law’s contents are far from sexy.

LORAIN — Businesses should tell customers who call in for service that they will be transferred to overseas call centers, according to legislation under consideration by Congress.