Monthly Archives: September 2012

A GLOBAL INDEX has placed the Philippines in the middle of 61 countries gauged according to their use of and impact from the Web. THE WEB Index 2012’s findings are expected to help stakeholders act on areas that need improvement. The first Web Index 2012, released yesterday by the World Wide Web Foundation — a…

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It’s been months since I left the University of the Philippines. With my departure, I brought with me the promises of a successful career, a head-turning university name, and a contract-worthy Latin honor. But then again, these are just promises—words and phrases that walk on stilts on shaky hanging bridges. Through all my years in…

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Sept 6 (PIA) — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Bicol regional and provincial offices, and the Bureau of Working Conditions will spearhead a Live-Out Construction Safety Training on September 17-21 at Rackdell Inn, Virac, Catanduanes.

ALCALA, Pangasinan, Sept 6 (PIA) — The Department of Labor and Employment launched here Monday the Child-Labor Free Barangays, which aims to protect the welfare of children and eliminate child labor in the tobacco industry.

Future disaster risks are set to become more complex — and the international community needs stronger and more integrated preventive measures to mitigate these. This was among key takeaways from a high-level conference on disaster risk reduction held last week in Davos, Switzerland. The 4th International Disaster Risk Conference, which was titled “Integrated Management in…

Last week, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim warned sharp spikes in food prices are endangering the “health and well-being” of millions of people, particularly those in Africa and the Middle East. Now, directors of three U.N. food agencies are urging “swift, coordinated international action” to prevent a repeat of the 2007-2008 global food crisis.

MANILA, Philippines—The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed on final reading a bill seeking to guarantee the rights and benefits of household workers in the Philippines.

Chemical ‘Intensification’ of Economies in Developing Countries Means Greater Risk of Exposure to Hazardous Substances New Study Shows Sound Management of Chemicals Can Deliver Major Economic Benefits and Support Green Economy Geneva / Nairobi / Mexico City / New York, 5 September 2012 – Coordinated action by governments and industry is urgently needed to reduce…

MANILA, Philippines – Young people across Southeast Asia, including those in the Philippines, may find it harder to get jobs in the years to come. In a paper titled Global Employment Outlook: Bleak Labour Market Prospects for Youth, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said this will be due to spillovers from the euro crisis that…

MANILA, Philippines—Quezon City building officials have cleared a major shopping mall of liability in last week’s death of four septic tank cleaners, who drowned in wastewater, after finding no violation committed by the management.

The Department of Health (DOH) urged lawmakers on Tuesday to pass the reproductive health (RH) and “sin tax” bills because it would mean more funds for health services for Filipinos.

The ILO’s Convention on Domestic Workers has now been ratified by two countries, meaning it will come into effect in a year’s time. The Convention extends basic labour rights to tens of millions of domestic workers worldwide.

Manila, Philippines (CNN) — Growing up, Cecilia Lopez hoped to escape poverty by finishing school and becoming a teacher. But now 52 years old and having never finished school, she wishes she had learned a few things. “If I knew back then about the choices in family planning, I would’ve been able to control having…

Sept 16-17, 2012 – Dubai, UAE Setting & Achieving Call Centre KPIs Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are high level indicators of call centre performance and a recent 200 call centre survey by ICMI determined that eight particular performance measurements were each considered to be a KPI at the organizational level by at least half of…

MANILA, Philippines – Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario left for Syria Monday to check on the condition of Filipinos affected by the deteriorating security situation in that country and to coordinate with top Syrian Government officials to secure their immediate repatriation.

SWISS FINANCIAL services firm UBS AG has hiked its 2012 growth forecast for the Philippines to 5.8% after the economy remained strong in the second quarter. “Philippine real GDP (gross domestic product) expanded 5.9% on the year, beating consensus expectations of 5.5% and our own forecast of 3.7%…” UBS said in a research note released…

MANILA, Philippines – The Aquino administration said government spending is expected to jump further in the second half of the year and would sustain the improvement in disbursements. The government has been trying to improve spending to boost economic growth, which grew 5.9 percent in the second quarter of the year from 6.4 percent in…

CITES NEED TO REVIVE PHILIPPINE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR TO GENERATE MORE JOBS A Higher investment rate is needed to sustain Philippine economic growth and reduce poverty, state think-tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said on Monday. According to PIDS President Josef Yap, the country shows improvement when it comes to the economy, because of government…

As it has missed out on the foreign direct investments, the Philippines has been left behind in the regional integration that led to the deterioration of the manufacturing sector.

De La Salle University professors have joined the fray over the Reproductive Health Bill, adding to the voices of nearly 200 Ateneo de Manila University professors who provoked the ire of Catholic bishops last month with their pro-RH statement. Forty-five faculty members of DLSU, which is Catholic-run like its archrival Ateneo, sent media a statement…

(Reuters) – Unemployment among young people is likely to rise globally as the euro crisis hits emerging economies and more discouraged jobless youth drop out of the labour force altogether, the International Labour Organization said on Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines—Despite the respectably high economic growth rate that the country registered in the second quarter, the Philippines has the worst unemployment rate in Southeast Asia, independent think tank Ibon Foundation has pointed out.

MANILA, Philippines – Japanese toy manufacturer Bandai, the company behind Power Rangers and Gundam action figures, will build a P400-million factory in Batangas. The LiMA Technology Center (LiMA), a 485-hectare business park in Lipa-Malvar, Batangas, will host the new toy factory. LiMA is owned by the Alcantara family that is primarily engaged in power production…

MANILA, Philippines – Some of the country’s best-known employers look forward to hiring more people in the final three months of the year, particularly the various service companies that include banks and financial institutions, as well as hotels and restaurants, among others.

Manufacturing and export sectors have been key drivers of China’s economic growth China’s manufacturing activity fell to a nine-month low in August, adding to fears that its economy is slowing faster than estimated. The official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 49.2, the lowest reading since November 2011, data released over the weekend showed.

BSP cites positive employment outlook index MANILA, Philippines—Enterprises in the country are in the mood to hire more workers, with the “employment outlook index” for the fourth quarter hitting the highest on record following a generally upbeat sentiment on the Philippine economy.

How many times have you been attracted by those blaring advertisements on fantastic promo airline fares, going as low as one peso or even “free”? How many times have you tried to book a ticket hoping to grab one of those great bargains—and then find out that they’re really no big bargain after all, if…

Editor’s note: David Frum is a contributing editor at Newsweek and The Daily Beast and a CNN contributor. He is the author of seven books, including a new novel, “Patriots.” (CNN) — Prediction: 2013 will be a year of serious global crisis. That crisis is predictable, and in fact has already begun. It will inescapably…

‘We Want To Go Home’ MANILA, Philippines — As the civil war in Syria intensifies, more than 200 Filipino workers wait at the Philippine embassy in Damascus to be flown home. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Finance and Administration Rafael Seguis said Monday the Filipinos reached the embassy with the help of the Rapid Response Team…