Monthly Archives: September 2015

STRUCTURAL SHIFT IN REVENUES TO KEEP PH STABLE The economy is on the brink of a structural shift, with revenues from call centers and other outsourcing firms expected to soon match the contribution of cash transfers from migrant workers.

This is part of a series on the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, in collaboration with the Stockholm Resilience Centre. This article focuses on goal 1 – End poverty in all its forms everywhere. The first goal in the soon-to-be minted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is quite a curtain-raiser: it calls on us to work…

30 July 2015, Manila –TUCP-affiliate Obrero Pilipino (OP) gears up for new collective bargaining negotiations after winning two certification elections covering some seven hundred workers in Laguna Technopark, a privately-run special economic zone in South Luzon.

This is a case where our Supreme Court has occasion to apply and explain quite clearly, the principle of the separation of Church and State. It is squarely applicable to the recent events involving the INC that will surely settle the controversies that may have arisen in the aftermath of the protest rallies that its…

MANILA, Philippines – Foreign business groups in the Philippines are pressing the government to pass a bill that aims to reduce income taxes, saying it will help make the country more competitive with other economies in the region.

THE Philippines is spearheading the preparation of a new strategic plan for tourism in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), and is bent on including gender parity and inclusive growth as regional objectives. This developed as the Department of Tourism (DOT) believes the integration of the Asean into one economic community will help boost…

Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky asked Peter Thiel, who invested in the company, for the single most important piece of advice he had for Airbnb. Thiel replied, “Don’t fuck up the culture.” This was a great advice, not just for Airbnb but also for every organization operating in the sharing economy. However, a couple…

MANILA, Philippines – Families of Filipinos working and living abroad are saving and investing less as they prioritize their spending amid the turbulence in the global financial markets, a survey conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

From the Department of Foreign Affairs “The outlook for the Philippine economy remains favorable despite uneven and generally weaker global growth prospects,” the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated in a press release after the conclusion of the 2015 Article IV Consultation between the Philippines and the IMF on August 26.

IT SEEMS a country’s spending reflects its national stereotypes, according to household expenditure data compiled by Eurostat: Russians splash 8% of their money on booze and cigarettes—far more than most rich countries—while fun-loving Australians spend a tenth of theirs on recreation, and bookish South Koreans splurge more than most on education.

Search through millions of job board postings and classified ads? Check. Update your resume? Check. Fill out the online application? Check. Hit ‘submit’ and send your resume out into cyber space? Check. Hear back from your dream job? Nope. What happened?!

‘Permitting restrictions on women’s right to decide their own bodies perpetuate discrimination against women and inequality of women in law’ Abortion is a reality for Filipino women. The illegality of abortion has not deterred Filipino women from inducing unsafe abortion. It has only made it dangerous for them where estimates in 2012 show that 610,000…

MANILA—The number of unemployed Filipinos went down in July 2015 as the market continues to reflect the continued strength of the economy, but interventions in the agriculture sector must continue to protect El Niño-affected workers, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero warned the government on Thursday against slashing the budget of JobStart Philippines program next year, saying such move would hamper efforts to address youth employment.

By Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star, Sep. 10, 2015 MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested yesterday 46 foreigners at a shopping mall in Baclaran, Pasay City for illegally working in the country.

To sustain its economic momentum, the Philippines will have to address low productivity, a problem that plagues most Southeast Asian countries, says McKinsey & Company’s Oliver Tonby MANILA, Philippines – Cutting bureaucreatic red tape, stepping up long-term urban planning, and adopting disruptive technology will help the Philippines overcome the risk posed by low productivity and…

The word “immersion” as it applies to the K to 12 curriculum is defined in the Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 40, series of 2015: “Work Immersion refers to the part of the Senior High School (SHS) Curriculum consisting of 80 hours of hands-on experience or work simulation which the Grades 11 and 12…

THAILAND’S food and agriculture sectors may stand to benefit the most from regional integration, but investing in the Philippines’ strengths and dropping some protectionist barriers may allow the latter country to bridge the gap, Rabobank said on Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino has scolded some of his close allies in the House of Representatives for pushing for the passage of a bill that aims to reduce income taxes, despite strong opposition from the Department of Finance (DOF).

ASIA-PACIFIC Economic Cooperation (APEC) members yesterday adopted a three-pronged structural reform agenda aimed at removing barriers to doing business and translate to more inclusive growth across economies.

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Children are half as likely to die before their fifth birthday now than they were in 1990, researchers said on Wednesday, but a United Nations target has not been met.

‘The impacts of climate change are more than just numbers. The 6,000 people who died in Haiyan were 6,000 hopes and dreams, and 6,000 futures cut short’

In an unprecedented move, the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board-Cordillera Autonomous Region (RTWPB-CAR) has raised the minimum wage of household service workers (HSWs) or domestic helpers.

China’s influence on the Philippine economy is limited enough for the Southeast Asian nation to have the guts to challenge it politically in a territorial spat most of its neighbors are not strong enough to stand for.

Despite the Philippine’s resilience against global risks, time is still ticking for the country to align policies to help it compete with ASEAN peers as the region integrates by the end of the year. Hans Vriens, managing partner of Vriens and Partners based in Singapore, says one cannot generalize in this market and that there…

Business problems today are too big for any one person to solve. Agile teams are much more effective at solving problems than are lone geniuses. So why do we still reward the smartest people in the room more so than those who excel at working with others? You know who I’m talking about: the people…

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes the Philippines would be able to survive external shocks brought about by the slackening global economy on the back of monetary and fiscal reforms being undertaken by the government.

Intimate partner violence or abuse can take the form of birth control sabotage, pregnancy pressure or coercion, which can have devastating consequences including unintended pregnancy, abortion and psychological trauma, according to a new review.