Monthly Archives: May 2014

An estimated number of 60,000 families reside along Manila’s creeks and waterways MANILA, Philippines – The Department of the Interior and Local Government relocated about 4,400 informal settler families (ISFs) living along major esteros (creeks) and waterways in Metro Manila.

MANILA, Philippines – A total of 353 private universities and colleges have filed petitions to increase their tuition and other fees this coming school year, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said yesterday.

Pakistan is one of three countries where polio is endemic Pakistan was close to eradicating polio 10 years ago. But conspiracy theories, a Taliban ascendancy and drive-by shootings of polio workers have reversed the gains. The BBC’s M Ilyas Khan reports from the frontline of the government’s war against the virus and the militants’ war…

REGULATORS have ordered the implementation of another temporary price cap for power traded at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), seeking to shelter consumers from volatility.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has received a one-notch credit upgrade to BBB “with a stable outlook” from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services – the highest the country has received so far from any credit ratings firm.

MANILA, Philippines—It may be high time to put a stop to Metro Manila’s reliance on Angat Dam and consider directly getting water from the 90,000-hectare Laguna Lake, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said on Thursday.

Philippine merchandise exports grew by 11 percent to $5.227 billion in March from $4.699 billion a year earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported Friday, citing higher shipments in electronics and other manufactures.

MANILA, Philippines—Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman on Wednesday condemned the use of children as human shields by the communist New People’s Army (NPA) as the latter retreated from an encounter with the military in Compostela Valley late last month.

• Epidemic in Santa Clara County, with 300 claims from workers each month • 6.4 percent of women, 2 percent of men among SF Bay Area’s 380,000 Filipinos are in the care industry • Stricter enforcement of labor laws, harsher punishment for violators recommended SANTA CLARA, California — In a report it released recently, the…

WASHINGTON – The Philippines made notable improvements in investment, business and monetary freedoms and control of government spending in the previous year, making its economy the 89th freest in the world.

SUBIC, Philippines—The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Central Luzon on Tuesday stopped the operations of the subcontractor of a Korean-owned shipbuilding company here following the death of a worker in its shipyard facility last week.

From the Department of Foreign Affairs The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that the European Commission Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DGMOVE) acted favorably on the department’s request for additional time, which would allow the Philippines’ Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to implement structural and policy changes to meet regulatory standards set by the…

The Philippine system is ‘designed to fail for massive disasters,’ an expert says Conclusion (Read Part 1: ‘Uncooperative’ officials derailing Yolanda rehab?) MANILA, Philippines – Six months after Yolanda (Haiyan) damaged the Philippines in a way never before seen since World War II, the country faces another disaster: its own rehabilitation efforts.

The government is looking at more interventions aside from the grant of fiscal incentives in boosting the competitiveness of the local automotive industry and put it at par with its regional counterparts.

MANILA, Philippines—Minimum wage earners in the Philippines are among the least productive unskilled workers in the world, a result of decades of underinvestment in infrastructure, education, and healthcare, a new World Bank report showed.

CREATING adequate and quality employment continues to be a challenge for Philippines, making it one of the worst-performing countries in the region in terms of labor productivity and inclusiveness despite the economy’s rapid expansion, according to the World Bank.

Youth inactivity could soon become a “national crisis” for the Philippines, as the World Bank noted that the number of idle young people in the country is already among the highest in the region.

As a candidate for the presidency, Noynoy Aquino promised to do ten specific actions to radically transform education in the Philippines. As President, he has achieved at least four of these ten, namely (quoting his own words):

BUTUAN CITY, May 7 (PIA) – The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), in cooperation with the Japan International Labor Foundation (JILAF) will hold the Constructive Industrial Relations, Employment Security, and Equitable Income national conference on May 13-14, 2014 at the Traders Hotel in Manila.

MANILA, Philippines — Close to 15,000 houses and 165 classrooms are currently being constructed in areas ravaged by powerful typhoon “Yolanda”, according to Presidential Assistant for Recovery & Rehabilitation (PARR) Panfilo Lacson.

TACLOBAN – Parts of the Philippines laid waste by Super Typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda) are showing signs of recovery six months later but years of work lie ahead, aid officials said Wednesday.

Small businesses and startups have historically created the bulk of America’s jobs. Here’s how to get them hiring more again. FORTUNE — Despite the strong monthly U.S. jobs report released last week, it’s likely too soon to cheer the positive numbers. In recent years, the number of jobs created has been anything but choppy; for…

WASHINGTON—The government’s newest national assessment of climate change declares that increased global warming is affecting every part of the United States. The report released on Tuesday cites wide and severe impacts: more sea-level rise, flooding, storm surges, precipitation and heat waves in the Northeast; frequent water shortages and hurricanes in the Southeast and the Caribbean;…

Six months after the super typhoon struck, Rehabilitation Secretary Panfilo Lacson says his biggest frustration ‘is not being able to do what I have wanted to do’

Subway CEO: How I’d solve the minimum wage debate In the nearly four decades since co-founding Subway, CEO Fred DeLuca’s seen a seismic shift in the restaurant industry as consumers gravitate toward fast-casual restaurants and shift toward healthier eating.

The commemoration of Labor Day last week brings to mind the question of what policies bring about rising standards of living for labor. In the course of decades of Philippine development, labor’s condition has not improved as much as that of some outstanding East Asian neighbors.

MANILA, Philippines – Six months after Super Typhoon Yolanda struck, mental health problems are emerging in affected communities, with more than 84,000 babies born and 70,000 more expected to be delivered in the next three months.

MANILA, Philippines — Half a year since super typhoon Yolanda swept through the central Philippines, the United Nations noted some progress in improving he situation for survivors but said the provision of aid and livelihood to devastated communities remains sorely lacking.

Complacency by policymakers and a “crisis of trust” in politicians, banks and multinationals are the biggest risks to the global economy this year, the head of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) told CNBC.

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Department of Labor and Employment Central Luzon regional director Raymundo G. Agravante on Tuesday issued a Cease and Desist Order (CDO) to Finback Corporation, a subcontractor of the Hanjin Heavy Industries Corporation Philippines (HHIC-Phils), until further notice after an accident occurred at the box beam inside the trans-bulkhead at PO110-Block…