MANILA, Philippines – Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) reached a six-month high in June due to a continued strong demand for skilled Filipinos abroad.

When creating long-term policies to tackle youth unemployment, we must not forget that quality is just as important as quantity While Spain and Greece are grappling with youth unemployment rates reaching over 50%, the figures are considerably lower in the Far East. According to the ILO global employment trends for youth 2013 (pdf) report, rates…

Hunger, especially among the poor, rose in the second quarter of 2013 as 22.7 percent of respondents to a Social Weather Stations poll claimed to have experienced having nothing to eat in the last three months. This was equivalent to 4.9 million households going hungry.

CHICAGO — There’s a sense of urgency to the quest for workplace harmony, as baby boomers delay retirement and work side-by-side with people young enough to be their children — or grandchildren.

Business leaders identified nine major sectors in Mindanao that require attention if the region’s competitiveness is to improve ahead of the anticipated Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration in 2015, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said in a statement Thursday.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) needs a P4.09-billion budget to train more Filipinos under its scholarship programs, its top official said Thursday.

The electrical grid is notoriously slow to change. Since the days when Thomas Edison debated the merits of A/C versus D/C power transmission, the biggest debates in electrical generation have been about whether to use natural gas or coal for power. But that’s all changing as the cost of traditional energy sources rises, and that…

In developing countries, the challenges that girls face are magnified by poverty. Rather than learning about their rights and how they can make a difference in the world, many girls’ voices are silenced and they have no say in major decisions that impact their lives.

The third of eight required core courses in the new General Education Curriculum (GEC) for all Philippine colleges and universities is “The Contemporary World / Ang Kasalukuyang Daigdig.”

The Department of Trade and Industry insists that private sector-led roadmaps will save this country and bring inclusive and sustainable economic growth to this nation. Here is a case where too much laissez-faire can actually kill the cow.

MANILA, Philippines – Merchandise exports recovered in June, gaining 4.1 percent to $4.490 billion from $4.314 billion a year ago due to increases posted by four major commodity groups, the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported yesterday.

Last week, I explained the Philippine “labor surplus” story by referring to the roles played by (a) high population growth rate; (b) misdirected economic nationalism; (c) the long process of protectionist policies promoting import substitution; and (d) the high welfare standards pursued by government intervention in the labor market.

The euro-zone economy AT LONG last the second leg of the euro area’s double-dip recession seems to have come to an end. In the second quarter of this year, the euro zone grew by 0.3%, or a 1.2% annual pace. That marked the first rise in output since the third quarter of 2011. Olli Rehn,…

(Reuters) – The most ambitious radiation clean-up ever attempted has proved costly, complex and time-consuming since the Japanese government began it more than two years in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear meltdown. It may also fail.

TAIPEI, Taiwan – The hiring of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan is back on track.

Aug 15, 2013 (Menafn – The Manila Times – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) (Conclusion) When LA Laker Earvin “Magic” Johnson revealed he was HIV-positive in 1991, he almost single-handedly altered the public’s perception of the typical HIV/AIDS patient.

More suggestions on how to improve our traffic problem in Metro Manila have been coming in. The latest is from Fernando Anluagui, and here’s what he says:

With all the vertical building projects rising in Metro Manila, and even in other major cities in the county, you’d wonder if all of these would be put to good use.

LAGUNA, Philippines – Armed men posing as police officers burned 10 passenger buses after disarming five security guards in a raid on the garage of the two bus companies in Pagsanjan town, shortly after midnight yesterday.

What is good life? What is happiness? What is success? What is pleasure? How should I treat other people? How should I cope with unfortunate events? How can I get rid off unnecessary worry? How should I handle liberty?

Halfway across the world, more than a half-million people live on American time. The Philippines is home to the largest call center industry in the world, and to man the phones during American business hours, many Filipinos adjust their lives to a global schedule.

MALOLOS CITY , Philippines – Authorities are set to investigate reported gold panning operations at the boundary of Bulacan and Nueva Ecija allegedly involving Chinese nationals.

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya , Philippines – The 18 Chinese nationals held early this month for allegedly engaging in illegal black sand mining in Aparri, Cagayan have been released by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to the custody of their employer.

Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla has warned that the Luzon grid would require 600-700 megawatts of additional capacity each year in the next three years. If we don’t get the private sector to put up those plants, we are in serious trouble. Only the private sector can invest in power generation plants under EPIRA.

MANILA, Philippines – As business confidence in the Philippines reached a record last quarter, Japanese investment bank Nomura said this could be a precedent to a surge of fixed-term investments as investors, worried of high stock valuations, seek new places to park their money.

Download the document here http://www.dole.gov.ph/files/DO%20131-13(2).pdf

SEVERAL months ago our No. 2 son moved out of our house and into a condominium near his office. For the first two months we barely saw him, as his newfound freedom from the watchful eye and protection of his parents and family meant late nights and long weekends of enjoying that freedom.

MANILA – Armed men torched 11 buses in Pagsanjan, Laguna before dawn Monday, police said.

MANILA, Philippines – A lot has been said about the horrific traffic situation in Metro Manila, especially on EDSA. Social media usually lights up with complaints whenever gridlock clogs the metro’s main artery.

MANILA, Philippines – Even as the sex-for-flight scheme is still being investigated, a Palace ally has urged President Benigno Aquino III to consider deploying more social welfare attaches (SWAs) to countries which have a high incidence of Filipinos in distress.