Vice President Jejomar Binay pushed for improved women’s health services and expressed dismay over the lack of health workers and health facilities in rural areas. “In the more remote areas of the country, there are not enough health workers to fulfill their noble duty.

Pakistani Ambassador Muhammad Naeem Khan inaugurates a clinic for the welfare of Pakistani expatriates in Alkhobar on Saturday. (AN photo by Imran Haider)(MENAFN – Arab News) Philippine authorities are still reluctant to implement the new contract agreements signed with Saudi Arabia to supply domestic workers.

BEIJING – China’s sovereign wealth fund will focus more of its $482-billion firepower on Asia in twin bids to beat a rise in protectionism in the West and boost exposure to rapid regional growth, chairman and chief executive Lou Jiwei said.

(Financial Times) — Economies across the Middle East need to introduce fiscal restraint and deeper reform to safeguard their futures, says the International Monetary Fund.

WASHINGTON — The “fiscal cliff,” a metaphor drawn from nature, was actually created by members of the US Congress, who designed it to be so horrible that they and the president would come to their senses and avert it in the nick of time.

“Mabel,” the domestic helper who is alleging that Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Shulan Primavera molested her, had actually sought the government’s help after being abused by a Kuwaiti employer. She was among hundreds of runaway Filipino maids who have sought refuge in Philippine embassies and other overseas facilities.

NEW OWNERSHIP RULES proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) could further limit investments in the country, officials of foreign business chambers claimed.

Private-sector stakeholders led by the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) that trooped to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) headquarters in an apparent show of force on Friday morning did not come out disappointed.

MANILA – In October, the government and the country’s largest Muslim rebel group agreed a preliminary deal that may end a 40-year conflict that has killed more than 120,000 and displaced 2 million.

The uptick in the US economic data and early signs of bottoming in China’s slowdown are giving Asean a good opportunity to deploy money into sectors that provide exposure to economic growth in China such as banking and insurance in the H-Share market, said Hwang-DBS Investment.

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported Sunday that call center firms remain to be the sector looking for the most number of qualified job seekers. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said this was reflected in the latest report of the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), which hosts the online facility Phil-JobNet.

The Business Processing Association of the Philippines said Friday it will continue supporting the American economy and businesses amid speculation that reelected US President Barack Obama may resurrect talks on the enactment into law of an anti-outsourcing bill in the US Congress.

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Central Visayas approved Thursday afternoon a P22-increase in the daily minimum wage, said to be the biggest since 1989.

NEWLY re-elected President Barack Obama will most likely support legislation that would make business process outsourcing companies in the Philippines less attractive to American companies, US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. said Wednesday.

THERE is no question that diet plays a very important role in the development of cardiovascular diseases and some forms of cancer, especially of the gastrointestinal tract. One particular diet — one high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and low in fiber — consisting mainly of red meats (pork, beef, non-skim dairy products, etc) and…

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines still has a long way to go in solving the problem of underweight children, President Benigno Aquino said Friday. Aquino issued the statement in his keynote address during the 2012 National Nutrition Awarding Ceremony at the Philippine International Convention Center.

MANILA, Philippines – Last September, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 316 HIV cases, the highest ever since the country started recording such cases in 1984. The DOH’s Philippine HIV and AIDS Registry showed that the new cases have raised to 2,466 the number of cases this year and to 10,830 since the registry was…

The Commission on Elections has rejected 22 more party-list organizations, bringing to 50 the total number of party-list organizations it has barred from joining next year’s mid-term elections. Disqualified were the Philippine Coconut Producers Federation Inc. (Cocofed), Alliance of Advocates in Mining Advancement for National Progress (Aama), Bayani Partylist, Abang-Lingkod, Ang Agrikulture Natin Isulong, Agapay…

A Senate panel plans to define who are marginalized and underrepresented and who should be allowed to participate in the party-list system. “There is no bill pending before my committee attempting to define the word marginalized and the word and underrepresented [so] we’ll come up with our own in order to improve the party-list law,”…

MANILA, Philippines – A student should not be deprived of her right to education just because she got pregnant, the National Youth Commission (NYC) said Tuesday. The NYC made the statement as some educational institutions, particularly private schools run by religious groups, tend to suspend pregnant students “because they are perceived as bad examples to…

MANILA, Philippines – Construction projects in the country are seen to rise more than three times next year from this year amid improving investment and economic climate, consultancy firm BCI Asia said. In its Philippines Construction Market Outlook 2013 released yesterday, it said the value of total construction starts is seen to surge by 264…

Party-list groups are in a quandary as to the logic behind the ruling of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) disqualifying them. They also questioned the logic of allowing them to finish their terms when they supposedly do not have any sector to represent. But after former Comelec Chairman Christian Monsod defended Ako Bicol party-list, the…

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has disqualified 19 more party-list groups from joining the 2013 polls. The groups include the Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (ANAD), Cocofed Philippine Coconut Producers Federation Inc. (COCOFED), Alliance of Advocates in Mining Advancement For National Progress (AAMA), Bayani Partylist (Bayani), Abang Lingkod Inc., Ang Agrikultura Natin…

MANILA, Philippines – Most Filipino children save half of their allowance, but “saving” only means getting enough money to buy the latest gadgets, clothes and toys, according to a survey by independent research firm Cimigo. Based on the survey conducted last August, most Filipino children (aged 7-12) say they spend half of their pocket money,…

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 316 new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were recorded by the STD/AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory (SACCL) of the Department of Health (DoH) last September, it was reported yesterday.

Social Security System officials face graft charges for overcharging its members on their loans by P27 billion since 2006 and for defying a Central Bank order to compute lower interest payments to ease the burden of members, officials said on Monday.

A little-known contractor who has convinced election officials he is not a “nuisance” candidate for senator has his eyes set on ending political dynasties. Ricardo Penson, 60, on Monday launched in a news conference what he called Krusada Kontra Dynasty, or Kontra, and challenged fellow senatorial candidates to sign a pact that would end a…

DISQUALIFIED party-list group Ako Bicol (AKB) has found an ally in former Elections chairman Christian Monsod who said that there is no prohibition in the Constitution that prevents the rich from serving in party-list groups to represent the marginalized sector.

MANILA, Philippines – The reproductive health bill will only be given “second priority” now that the Senate is aiming to pass both the proposed 2013 national budget and sin tax reform bill before the year ends. “Both the budget and the sin tax are priority all over other legislation,” Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile told…

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