Monthly Archives: September 2012

MANILA – The Philippine economy could grow by almost six percent this year thanks to improving business optimism despite a series of destructive storms in recent months, officials said Monday.

The wave of social unrest that has recently hit Spain is a reflection of the growing rural/urban and north/south divide in the country. GENEVA (ILO News) – Unemployment in Spain is rising faster in rural areas than in urban centres and is fuelling social unrest, according to the latest statistics produced by ILO’s International Institute…

MANILA, Philippines – Two Filipinos were among those named as Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP), an annual search by the Junior Chamber International (JCI), otherwise known as the Jaycees.

MANILA, Philippines—While lawmakers continue to debate whether to pass the reproductive health bill, the Department of Health (DOH) has been granted P537 million for the purchase of condoms and other contraceptives in its budget for next year.

THE PHILIPPINE contact center industry is projected to grow by nearly a fifth by the end of the year, driven by the over-all growth in the global market and the country’s reputation in the voice outsourcing services sector, an official said on Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines – Eighty barangays nationwide will be made child labor-free zones this year, Malacañang said yesterday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Department of Labor and Employment aims to reduce the nearly three million Filipino children engaged in dangerous labor.

The Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport) is questioning the Department of Labor and Employment’s imposition of a P25,000 registration fee for labor subcontractors.

Unpaid Obligations To Electric Suppliers Could Lead To Blackouts MANILA, Philippines — A number of electric cooperatives nationwide could lose their power supply unless they settle the P20-billion debts they owe to power suppliers.

A REPEAT of last year’s spending “stimulus” is being planned by the Budget department, which wants to realign government agencies’ unused funds for priority projects in the fourth quarter. “[A]nother Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) is planned for implementation this year, based on the extent of appropriations which remain unobligated to date,” states a Budget department…

IT ONLY TAKES nine minutes for a worker in Tokyo (Japan) to earn enough to buy a Big Mac but a wage earner in Manila will have to toil eight times longer or 73 minutes to be able to afford the same item, according to a UBS study.

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Almost three million Filipino children are engaged in dangerous labor, the National Statistics Office (NSO) bared in its recent survey on children. Two-thirds of those children into hazardous labor were boys. Central Luzon (10.6 percent) and Bicol (10.2 percent) registered the highest percentage, while CAR (2.3 percent) had the least percentage.

In the Philippines, where virtually everyone who has an Internet connection is on Facebook, it becomes all too easy to change —and even ruin— peoples’ lives without a moment’s forethought or hesitation. Just like millions of other Pinoys, 27-year-old Raymond Malinay is a confessed Facebook fanatic: he spends every free minute online updating his status,…

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Almost 3 million Filipino children are into dangerous labor, the National Statistics Office bared in its recent survey on children. About 5.49 million Filipino children aged five to 17 years have already experienced work in their life, the state agency noted.

Conclusion Last week’s “Biodiversity Sunday” delved into the topic of overconsumption—exploring how our planetary footprint is causing debt on our ecological bank account, bringing us closer to the global destruction line and the limit of consumption growth.

MONTREAL — Canada dropped Friday its longtime opposition to global restrictions on asbestos, dealing a blow to the country’s dying mining industry of the fire-resistant substance.

At least 71 bus firms in seven regions are now giving their drivers and conductors regular wages and complying with other labor standards for the industry, the Department of Labor and Employment said late Friday. The DOLE said these 71 firms have issued labor standards compliance certificates (LSCCs) as proof of compliance with Department Order…

Canada’s asbestos industry is effectively and finally shut down, with Industry Minister Christian Paradis’s announcement Friday that the Canadian government will no long oppose the listing of asbestos as a hazardous substance in the international Rotterdam Convention.

Long Island Press Releases — With Right Political & Corporate Leadership (Washington, DC) This week, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) released a video featuring American call center workers sharing their personal stories and experiences with off-shoring – a practice that has devastated the domestic call center industry to the tune of 500,000 jobs lost…

A little less than a year ago, the House voted on an NDP motion that called on the Harper government to support the listing of asbestos as a hazardous chemical product under the Rotterdam Convention and provide measures to assist the transition of workers in the asbestos industry. The motion was defeated with the vast…

(Reuters) – Canada dropped its longtime opposition on Friday to the international listing of asbestos as a hazardous material, a designation intended to curb the use abroad of the fire-resistant substance, which can cause cancer and other illnesses. Canada had been the main opponent of such a listing, which would require exporters to warn importing…

ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio decried the lack of funding for new faculty of the 110 state universities and colleges (SUCs) throughout the country in the proposed 2013 national budget during Wednesday’s plenary deliberations at the House of Representatives.

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Communist rebels set on fire a multi-million boom-type sprayer truck of an international banana farm in Makilala, North Cotabato on Thursday morning.

On Thursday last week in Kuala Lumpur, I opened the newspaper and, lo and behold, saw the banner of Malaysia’s Star (“The people’s paper”): “Bye, Bye, Filipinas.” The report opens thus: “With the Philippine Government’s plan to phase out the sending of citizens overseas to work [as domestic helpers], it’s as good as saying goodbye…

MANILA, Philippines – There are now 7.8 million Filipinos covered by microinsurance, according to the Insurance Commission (IC). During the national conference for microinsurance held at the Sofitel Hotel yesterday, the IC said these Filipinos were covered by around five million microinsurance policies.

UNCTAD Report explores the links between income distribution, growth and development, arguing that inequality is neither a necessary condition for sound economic growth, nor its natural result. Pro-active fiscal and income policies to reduce income gaps influence economic growth.

The Philippines is truly on the right path, according to Aquino and is on the way of filling up the half-full glass. President Aquino yesterday expressed confidence that the country is likely to reach the 5 percent to 6 percent gross domestic product (GDP) target, citing that different industries are doing well as seen in…

A new United Nations report urges governments to use fiscal and labor market policies to reduce income inequality, maintaining that this not only leads to social benefits but will spur economic growth and development. Produced by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Trade and Development Report 2012 says that recent experience, especially…

Proficiency in oral and written English and flexibility in dealing with foreign cultures remain the key advantages of Filipino contact center agents over those of other countries in Asia – including China, the Contact Center Association of the Philippines said Wednesday.

MANILA, Philippines – Despite the appreciation of the peso against the US dollar that could cut their profit margins, call centers are not sounding the alarm bells and say that they remain confident of doing brisk business in the Philippines.

Sept. 14 (Bloomberg) — Stephanie Chan spent four years at Manila Doctors College qualifying to work as a nurse overseas. She never left the country. Instead, she switched careers and now earns almost as much monitoring people’s finances.