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by Marvin A. Tort, Businessworld, January 12, 2017 Almost five years ago, I wrote a column about my concerns regarding the life span of the Social Security System (SSS). I expressed my opinions based on a study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), released in the third quarter of 2012, on pension systems in the…

by Sarah Godoy, Forbes, January 10, 2017 January 11th marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, an opportunity for community members to show support for trafficking victims and survivors through simple acts–like wearing blue and sharing #WearBlueDay on social media–or fully immersing themselves in the anti-trafficking movement, and everything in between.

By: Jodee A. Agoncillo, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan. 12, 2017 MANILA — One of the six workers of the Omni Gas Corporation who were seriously injured in a fire at the Regasco refilling station in Pasig City passed away on Wednesday night, local officials said. Senior Inspector Anthony Arroyo, chief of the investigation unit of…

SMC Prez denies link between coal power plant and ailments, but commits to foot the bill By: Jaymee T. Gamil, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan. 12, 2017 MANILA — Are the health problems of residents in Limay, Bataan caused by ash fall or a spill from a byproduct storage facility being used by the San Miguel…

By Catherine Pillas, Businessmirror, Jan. 12, 2017 The country’s hosting of several international events, such as the 65th Miss Universe, will allow the Philippines to attract 6.5 million foreign tourists this year, an official of the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Thursday.

Higher minimum wage have losers, US studies find By New York Times, Jan. 12, 2017 CHICAGO—A growing number of economists have found that many cities and states have considerable room to raise the minimum wage before employers meaningfully cut back on hiring. But that conclusion may gloss over some significant responses to minimum-wage increases by…

BY CATHERINE S. VALENTE, TMT, Manila Times, JANUARY 12, 2017 T PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has issued an executive order (EO) to “accelerate” the implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RP/RH) law to ensure “zero unmet need” for contraception and reduce poverty, a senior Cabinet official announced on Wednesday.

BY RICARDO SALUDO, Manila Times, JANUARY 12, 2017 How can ordinary Filipinos help President Rodrigo Duterte beat corruption for good? In his message on Monday’s Black Nazarene procession, he extolled the Filipino’s untiring faith and unrelenting fight against injustice and corruption. Duterte now needs both to win against sleaze for good.

Citing Republic Act 8282, Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon says the SSS cannot recommend an increase in benefits that require a corresponding increase in contribution by Camille Elemia, Rappler, January 11, 2017 MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon and Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV questioned the planned increase in the monthly contribution…

By: Jodee A. Agoncillo – Reporter / @jagoncilloINQPhilippine Daily Inquirer, January 11, 2017 Edited @ 10:15 a.m., Jan. 11, 2017, to include the names of the victims and to revise the number of those hurt.

By Jonathan L. Mayuga, Businessmirror, JANUARY 11, 2017 Rescued Hacienda Luisita sugar-plantation workers from Mindanao on Wednesday blamed the “contractualization” scheme for the “slavery” that continue to victimize landless farmers in agricultural plantations.

BY THE MANILA TIMES, January 11, 2017 GENEVA: Rising income inequality is seen as the top risk for the global economy in 2017, with reforms to market capitalism increasingly viewed as necessary to ward off a populist backlash, the World Economic Forum said Wednesday.

By The Nation, January 11, 2017 The US Agency for International Development (USAID) Thursday launched a US$21.5-million-worth programme to counter human trafficking in Asia by awarding a contract a US development organisation.

Are the communists no longer a security threat? BY FRANCISCO TATAD, JANUARY 11, 2017 In his first joint command conference of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police in Malacañang last week, President Rodrigo Duterte declared he wanted the notorious Abu Sayyaf Group “crushed.” This should have been said on the…

by Olivia Enos, Forbes, January 10, 2017 January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month – a month that recognizes the need to combat this evil, which victimizes as many as 45.8 million people worldwide. This is a human rights issue with implications for national security. Trafficking generates an estimated $150 billion annually in…

BY GILBERT BAYORAN, Visayan Daily Star, January 10, 2017 The sugar industry loses about P10.5 billion due to the importation and use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) by beverage and food producers in the country, the Confederation of Sugar Producers Inc. said. Records of the Bureau of Customs for 2016 showed that HFCS imports…

By Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan (philstar.com), January 10, 2017 MANILA, Philippines (Philippines News Agency) — Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Tuesday said that persons especially Indians engaged in the lending business more commonly known as “5-6” would be arrested even without a warrant of arrest.

Rey Galupo (The Philippine Star), Jan. 9, 2017 MANILA, Philippines – A construction worker died of electrocution while his fellow worker was severely injured when a steel pipe they were carrying got entangled with a live wire in Tondo, Manila on Saturday.

Windows is still No. 1, but as the PC market continues to decline, it only has less than half of the market. By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols for Between the Lines, Jan. 9, 2017 The real reason Windows has sunk below the 50-percent mark is that smartphones and tablets are continuing to grow while the desktop…

by DAVID RYAN POLGAR, Jan 8, 2017 34 workers at a Japanese insurance company are being laid off and replaced with an artificial intelligence (AI) system. Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance, seeking greater efficiency in calculating their payouts to policyholders, will soon replace many of its office workers with an AI system based on IBM’s Watson…

Romina Cabrera (The Philippine Star), Jan. 7, 2017 MANILA, Philippines – One woman was killed while six others were injured in an air tank explosion at a plastics factory in Quezon City before dawn Thursday.

AT GROUND LEVEL By Satur C. Ocampo (The Philippine Star), Jan. 7, 2017 President Duterte enters the second half of his first year in office unrelentingly pursuing his bloody war on illegal drugs, which during the electoral campaign he had promised to complete in six months. The fulfillment of another campaign promise has now been…

Written by Kris De Meyer, Jan 6, 2017 Finally a new year is here after the most politically divisive 12 months in a very long time. In the UK, Brexit shattered dreams and friendships. In the US, the polarisation was already huge, but a bitter election campaign made the divisions even deeper. Political rhetoric doesn’t persuade…

by ROBBY BERMAN, Jan 4, 2017 For everyone, there are times when a dark cloud just seems to be following you around. You may not even even know why. While we don’t mean to minimize the value of medication for those who experience this on a daily basis, UCLA neuroscientist Alex Korb, author of The…