MANILA – Malacanang believes the government’s targeted approach to reduce poverty and hunger in the country is working. This, after a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed a decline in the number of families experiencing involuntary hunger. “‘Yung paglutas sa problema ng kahirapan at ang kaakibat nito, ‘yung problema ng pagkagutom, ay isa sa…

STRASBOURG, France – Intersex children, or those born with characteristics of both sexes, must not be subjected to “normalization” surgery without their consent, the Council of Europe said Tuesday.

WASHINGTON, DC: Hoping to end the social stigma surrounding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) – the virus that causes AIDS – a Vienna-based men’s magazine called “Vangardist” has released 3,000 copies of its spring issue printed with ink containing a small amount of HIV-positive blood. To create the ink, three HIV-infected people – gay man, a…

The Philippines went up eight notches in the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness 2015 report on the back of its improving price competitiveness and growing middle class. The Philippines placed 74th out of 141 countries, up from 82nd in 2011 in the WEF biannual report released in Switzerland yesterday. “The most significant…

MANILA – More than 600 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were recorded in March despite efforts to control the spread of the disease, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday. Health officials said the 667 new HIV cases were the highest ever recorded since the first case of HIV was reported in…

Who hasn’t fantasized about walking into the boss’s office, saying: “I quit!” and then marching straight out the door? The rational side of you knows, of course, that that’s the wrong way to resign from a job. But what is the right approach? Who should you tell first? How much notice should you give? And…

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The mega-recruiter can act as the employer of domestic workers, instead of the households that employ them and, as visa sponsors, often oppress them

Both men and women only have 24 hours in every day. A new ADB report shows that how women decide to spend that time differs to men, and that is key to understanding why many women don’t join the formal workforce; and why, if they do, they are still likely to earn less than men…

The two largest multi-media companies, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and ABS-CBN Corp., announced they will lay off hundreds of employees as they enter into the digital era, the next battleground for broadcasting and telecommunication. ABS-CBN Corp., the broadcast network of the Lopez group, has an ongoing “voluntary retirement” offer to employees nationwide, as the…

WITH BARELY a year left for the Aquino administration, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECoP) has promised anew to push for reforms in the country’s labor code during its annual conference. The move will get rid of outdated provisions in the law which governs the country’s employment practices and labor relations. “Amending the archaic…

MANILA, Philippines – Merchandise exports may have contracted anew in March as effects of the congestion in Metro Manila ports last year continue to linger, UK-based investment bank Barclays said. However, the bank expects a slight improvement with an estimated 2.4 percent decrease in March from the 3.1 percent contraction in February. “Export contraction to…

Women in the Philippines are among the most empowered in the world, with the country ranking among the top 10 in terms of gender equity. The ranking is likely to improve further following the implementation of the Reproductive Health Law.

It is one of our most enduring shibboleths: “Workers are entitled to a just wage, which is defined as no lower than a legal minimum wage (LMW). Only in this manner can we reduce poverty and achieve social justice.”

Labor in the Philippines took a giant leap forward this week when federations nationwide banded together to work for a better life for marginalized sectors. “We do not have to wait for government to do it for us, we will do it ourselves,” declared former Senator Ernesto Herrera. He is the recognized dean of Philippine…

THE Philippines and Canada have signed several bilateral agreements, including the launch of exploratory discussions towards a possible free trade agreement between the two countries, Malacanang said Saturday. President Benigno Aquino III and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper witnessed the signing of the agreements on trade, development assistance, and occupational health and safety, during the…

MANILA, Philippines – The Social Security System (SSS) is now ready to implement its new retirement savings program called Personal Equity and Saving Option (PESO) fund. Launched in September 2014, SSS PESO is an alternative and tax-free investment that offers guaranteed earnings higher than the rates offered in a savings account or bank deposit. The…

The report of the National Peace Council formed by Aquino III to review the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) definitely shows that it was formed merely to ensure the passage by Congress of said document as demanded by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). It is really quite disturbing and ironic that for the purpose of…

While her neighbors were celebrating their fiesta, Thelma was worried that no one had made any reservation or offered to buy the pig she had hoped to sell at fiesta time. True enough no one did and she simply presumed that her neighbors in their small barangay were not doing well financially and had decided…

Militant youth groups criticized the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for allegedly being lenient on higher education institutions (HEIs) that intend to raise tuition this coming school year. “CHED’s claim that it has a strict mechanism in deciding tuition hike applications is nothing but a cacophony of lies,” National Union of Students of the Philippines…

MANILA, Philippines – Filipinas ranked eighth in the list of sexiest women in the world based on a survey conducted by a dating website. The 2015 Sexiest Nationalities survey, conducted by MissTravel.com, cited former Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger, whose father is Filipino, and Filipino-American actress Vanessa Hudgens of “High School Musical” fame. The…

MANILA, Philippines – Manila and several other key cities in Asia are highly vulnerable to rising sea levels, floods and other effects of climate change, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). On the “at risk list” of the ADB are Bangkok, Dhaka, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Kolkata, Mumbai, Shanghai and Yangon. ADB Climate…

MANILA, Philippines – More college graduates are taking licensure examinations in order to practice their professions. Data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)’s Current Labor Statistics showed that the number of examinees for licensure examinations went up to 444,628 in 2014 from 379,584 in 2013 and 401,827 in 2012. The number of board…

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will continue to be the “exception” in Asia and in the world as its economy is expected to continue its upward growth momentum, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said. “We see falling potential growth in the world and in Asia in general, but the Philippines is an outlier,” IMF resident…

Government has been encountering difficulties in determining the actual number of HIV cases Manila: In an effort to determine the exact number of HIV cases in the country, the Philippines’ Department of Health has offered free testing for the diseases. Health Secretary Dr Janet Garin announced that the government would launch a renewed drive against…

TOKYO — Asian economies will lead world growth in 2015, expanding at a 5.6 percent pace that is level with last year, as recoveries in India and Japan help to offset the slowdown in China, the IMF said in a report Thursday.

In 1985 there were only 13 US billionaires in the world. In 2013, the number had increased to 1,426 with a total net worth of US5.4 trillion. Within a generation – about 28 years – the billionaire class has increased by 10,869%.

A high performer can deliver 400% more productivity than the average performer. Despite this, when most managers look at workforce statistics, all employees tend to be lumped together into a category so broadly defined that it becomes difficult to take meaningful decisions. If your average employee tenure is six years, is that good or bad?…

A mother of two would need to work 50 hours a week at a minimum-wage job to exceed one measure of poverty, a new study found. Demonstrators have protested this year at fast-food restaurants, including this McDonald’s store in Chicago, demanding a higher minimum wage. ASSOCIATED PRESS Minimum-wage employees in the U.S. need to work…