Monthly Archives: March 2013

The Philippines continues to rank relatively higher in human development than other ASEAN member countries and is also making progress in the attainment of the millennium development goals (MDGs).

Inequality has been a drag on the pace of improvement in human development in the Philippines, according to data in the latest Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The 2013 Human Development Report – “The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World” – examines the profound shift in global dynamics driven by the fast-rising new powers of the developing world and its long-term implications for human development.

Authors of the proposed Magna Carta for the Poor are aghast that President Benigno Aquino III vetoed the measure intended to guarantee that the downtrodden and impoverished would get opportunities to improve their plight, believing there was no reason to deny them any kind of help they could get.

If there were a way to stop time from ticking, Jennilyn Jimenez would have instantly considered that option. It’s just been a month since she gave birth to her son, and now will only have a month more to take care of him before she goes back to work.

THE PHILIPPINES could become a gateway to Southeast Asia when the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) pushes through with market integration in 2015, a Cabinet official last week said.

MANILA, Philippines—The peso fell back to the 41-to-a-dollar territory on Tuesday to hit its lowest level for the year as the crisis in Cyprus spooked markets anew. The local currency closed at 41.07 against the US dollar, down by 24 centavos from the previous day’s finish of 40.83:$1.

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE declined slightly in the first quarter but most Filipinos are optimistic with regard to the next three months and the year ahead, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) yesterday reported.

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – Despite its better than expected 6. 6 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth last year, the Philippines will lag behind other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the long-term if it does not adopt the needed improvements, according to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expects economic growth to accelerate this year, bolstered by added contributions from the external-trade sector, Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. said.

The government is preparing an updated version of the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) focusing on people and quality jobs to address the growing number of jobless Filipinos, according to a Cabinet official.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Tuesday criticized President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s decision to veto the proposed Magna Carta for the Poor, a measure which seeks to provide indigents shelter, livelihood, education and health services.

It sounds like funding for a drinking session but it is what the latest government antipoverty program is called. The program, dubbed Bottoms-Up-Budget (BUB), will set aside P20 billion for projects to be identified by mayors of the country’s poorest provinces as part of the Aquino administration’s efforts to lift more families from poverty.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — At least 95 institutions of higher learning in the National Capital Region have applied with the Commission on Higher Education for increases in their tuition and other fees in the next academic year, Kabataan party-list said.

THE GOVERNMENT is coming up with an updated medium-term development plan (MTDP) that will be centered on “job creation” and will be presented by President Benigno S. C. Aquino III in July, a Cabinet official yesterday said.

As we commemorate Christ’s suffering this Holy Week, I am led to revisit anecdotes I have written in past articles on the wisdom one can find by talking to those who suffer the most from our society’s inequities. Through the years, I have found some of the richest insights in conversations with common folk expressing…

MANILA – As the first quarter comes to a close, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Monday said growth for the period likely settled at 6-7 percent on election-related spending and the recovery in exports.

The pace of Philippine improvements under the human development or HDI of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the past 30 decades may be slower than Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, but Manila was able to achieve three of the eight MDG ahead of the 2015 target.

MANILA – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Monday said the Philippines is likely to achieve most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

MANILA, March 25 — The government has vowed to double its efforts in ensuring human development in the country through continued implementation of pro-poor initiatives designed to improve Filipinos’ education and health.

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – The government today assured that it will double its efforts to ensure human development in the country through various programs and initiatives that will benefit the poor.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ progress in improving the quality of Filipinos’ lives has been slow as indicated in its Human Development Index (HDI) score, and performance in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s top court, the Court of Final Appeal, has dismissed an appeal by Filipino helpers seeking permanent residency in the city, it said here Monday.

MANILA (UPDATED) – President Aquino said he vetoed the proposed Magna Carta for the Poor because its implementation could not be funded.

MANILA, Philippines — He could have played cute and signed it into law. But without a P3.044-trillion budget to fulfill the basic needs of the poor right away, the government would have been haled to court.

MANILA – President Benigno Aquino III has vetoed the Magna Carta for the Poor, saying most of its provisions were unrealistic and were meant only to earn brownie points.

The Kris Aquino/James Yap and Chiz Escudero/Heart Evangelista brawls triggered a blogging frenzy. “There are more pressing concerns,” former Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon protested. These range from Filipinos squeezed in the Sabah controversy to a severely strained school system. “Let’s keep our focus on issues that matter.”

Lisbon — No matter how Cyprus’s financial drama ends, its troubles show yet again that rich countries enfeebled by the great financial crisis remain a weak link in the world economy. By comparison, emerging markets are not only looking stronger but are also contributing more consistently to global growth.

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – Communist rebels torched heavy equipment worth about P500,000, bunkhouses and a generator set in a black sand quarrying site in Camalaniugan, Cagayan last Saturday, authorities said.

Jollibee Group is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year and targeting opening its historic 800th Jollibee store in the second half of 2013, Jollibee chief operating officer Ernesto “Ato” Tanmantiong said in an exclusive interview with The Philippine STAR. The Burger King chain in the Philippines is also now 54-percent owned by Jollibee, with 29…