by Lawrence Agcaoili – The Philippine Star, 23 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The proportion of Filipino adults with bank accounts soared to 53 percent in the first quarter from 29 percent in 2019, as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) ramps up its financial inclusion efforts.

by Franz Embudo – The Philippine Star, 23 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Swedish furniture and homewares chain IKEA Philippines has partnered with Mober, a Filipino technology-logistics company, for its last mile electric vehicle delivery to reduce carbon emissions.

by Neil Jayson Servallos – The Philippine Star, 23 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Over P800 million in financial aid has been distributed to jeepney drivers under the fuel subsidy program of the Department of Transportation.

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By Ferdinand Patinio, 23 Dec 2021 MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Thursday issued guidelines that aim to protect informal sector workers, including kasambahays (house helpers), under Republic Act (RA) 11313 or the Safe Spaces Act.

IN what could be considered a reward for braving the pandemic and, in many instances, for serving onboard their ships beyond their contracts, seafarers in over 9,000 ships worldwide will enjoy a 4.5 percent increase in wages and compensation over two years starting January 1, 2022.

by Franco Luna – Philstar.com, 22 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines —It’s firming up to be Sen. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., Vice President Leni Robredo, and everyone else for the 2022 polls, with the former senator leading all candidates and the latter slowly improving, a survey by private pollster Pulse Asia suggests.

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By Ferdinand Patinio, 16 Dec 2021 MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Thursday reported that it has surpassed its 75,000 target establishments to be inspected for compliance on general labor standards, occupational safety, and coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) monitoring for this year.

by Pia Lee-Brago – The Philippine Star, 20 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — As exemplified by the many roles of migrants considered “essential” during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new International Organization for Migration (IOM) report highlighted an increase in demand for their labor.

by Lawrence Agcaoili – The Philippine Star, 20 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — More families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are saving and investing less in the fourth quarter despite the projected rebound in remittances, as host countries gradually recover from the impact of the pandemic.

by Ghio Ong – The Philippine Star, 19 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Forty-four employees of a Valenzuela firm who were arrested on Wednesday night for going on strike were released from jail after 36 hours, their lawyer said yesterday.

by Shiela Crisostomo – The Philippine Star, 19 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) announced its new benefit package rates for COVID-19 testing, using plate-based and cartridge-based Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR).

by Louise Maureen Simeon – The Philippine Star, 19 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines would have to ramp up its innovation strategies to ensure economic recovery from the pandemic and achieve the country’s long-term goals.

by Cecille Suerte Felipe – The Philippine Star, 19 Dec 2021 BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Full digitalization for government transactions will prevent corruption and cybersecurity-related issues, the tandem of Partido Reporma chairman and standard-bearer Panfilo Lacson and running mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, maintained.

by Ghio Ong – The Philippine Star, 19 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — A Manila court has dismissed murder charges filed against 15 communist leaders for their alleged role in the so-called “Hilongos mass grave” in Inopacan, Leyte 31 years ago.

by Louella Desiderio – The Philippine Star, 18 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Senate approval of amendments to the Public Service Act (PSA) to allow 100-percent foreign ownership of a wide range of local business enterprises was described as “sort of a Christmas gift” by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

by Ghio Ong – The Philippine Star, 18 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Charges were filed yesterday against 44 employees of a company in Valenzuela who were arrested for going on strike on Wednesday night.

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by Ghio Ong – The Philippine Star, 17 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Fifty workers of a company in Valenzuela were reportedly forcefully dispersed and arrested on Wednesday night after they went on strike.

by Romina Cabrera – The Philippine Star, 17 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The 911 National Emergency Hotline can now respond to calls regarding incidents of violence against women and children (VAWC) and other gender-based violence emergencies.

by Louise Maureen Simeon – The Philippine Star, 17 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Women and youth in the country’s labor market are bearing the brunt of job losses due to the pandemic, with the government urged to ramp up social protection to address worsening inequality and ensure economic recovery.

by Louella Desiderio – The Philippine Star, 17 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Philippine exports to other members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement may decline by $100 million due to the deal’s tariff concessions, but this can be offset by additional trade and other benefits, the UN Conference on Trade and Development…

by Lawrence Agcaoili – The Philippine Star, 17 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Placements under a voluntary retirement savings program jumped by 62 percent to P237 million as of end-September from a year ago as more Filipinos are opting to save more, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

by Iris Gonzales – The Philippine Star, 17 Dec 2021 Strangers and friends alike are now hooked on e-sabong, the online version of that age-old national obsession bequeathed to us by the Spaniards.

by Ramon Royandoyan – Philstar.com, 17 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos became poor in the first half of the year, as the pandemic wiped out gains of the Duterte administration in lifting people out of poverty.

by Louise Maureen Simeon – The Philippine Star, 17 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — Women and youth in the country’s labor market are bearing the brunt of job losses due to the pandemic, with the government urged to ramp up social protection to address worsening inequality and ensure economic recovery.

by Joey Concepcion – The Philippine Star, 16 Dec 2021 Foresight and a pro-active stance. These made the difference in what the Philippines is right now: one of the safest places in the world.

by Louise Maureen Simeon – The Philippine Star, 16 Dec 2021 MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines should incorporate flexibility and revamp its policies on foreign direct investments (FDIs) to ensure economic recovery as capital inflow across the region will still be challenging in the near term.