Six months after the Supreme Court handed down the decision ordering the immediate distribution of the Hacienda Luisita, farmer-beneficiaries are a step closer, yet still far from becoming its owners. Under the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) normal land-distribution process, the Hacienda Luisita farmers are still 15 steps away from becoming owners of their own…

MANY ARE unhappy at how economic growth around the globe, especially in dynamic Asia, is leading to widening gaps between the rich and the poor. The Asian Development Bank notes that out of 28 Asian countries with comparable data, 12 have seen worsening inequality—and these account for over 80 percent of developing Asia’s population. In…

THE Supreme Court decision on the Hacienda Luisita case covers the distribution of the 4,915.75-hectare sugar estate to qualified farmer-beneficiaries, but does not cover the Centro Azucarera de Tarlac (CAT).

THE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is giving companies that may be in violation of the 40-percent foreign-ownership limit up to five years to comply, based on the new draft rules for covered Philippine corporations released on Monday.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines should take the lead in ensuring greater protection for domestic workers abroad as abuses against them continue despite their large presence across the globe.

MANILA, Philippines—Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong are getting a salary raise and other additional benefits, according to Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. Baldoz, in a report early this week, said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is increasing the monthly minimum allowable wage (MAW) of foreign household service workers by HK$180, or 4.8 percent, and…

An important amount of domestic workers in Europe do not receive the same legal protection as other workers. Although there has been significant legislative progress in this direction, this working activity is quiet often not considered as a real work.

The latest EU figures show a further increase in youth unemployment, but there has been some debate in the past over whether to express those levels in rates rather than ratios. What is the difference between the two, and which, if any, is a more precise measurement?

MANILA, Philippines – Rappler hosted a Google Hangout on its homepage on Wednesday, October 31, entitled “#HIVTalk: Take the Test.” Guests included Jericho Paterno of Pinoy Plus, a care and support group for People Living with HIV (PLHIV). Paterno, a former migrant worker, has been living with HIV for the last 9 years. Also on…

There’s quite a buzz in Manchester Central (United Kingdom), where 10,000 men and women from co-operatives around the world have gathered to share their ideas and experiences. The three-day Co-operatives United event marks the close of the UN International Year of Co-operatives and highlights the staying power of a movement that is gaining renewed attention…

The need to have more women in the world’s still male-dominated boardrooms has gained widespread recognition but there is also strong disagreement on how to go about it. GENEVA (ILO News) – Women make up about 50 per cent of the world’s population but only a fraction become company CEOs or board members. Yet, evidence…

The Business Processing Association of the Philippines said the voice segment of the industry is showing no signs of slowing down and is expected to sustain its growth next year. BPAP president and chief executive Benedict Hernandez said Tuesday employment in the call center sector or the voice segment would increase to 567,000 in 2013…

This is the second installment in a mini-series from Ramit Sethi’s book, I Will Teach You to Be Rich. In case you missed the first post in this series, 3 Simple Steps Leading to Personal Wealth, be sure to check it out as well. I struggled for a while with what to include in today’s…

MANILA, Philippines – The International Labor Organization (ILO) said domestic workers in rich European capitals still suffer from abuses and discrimination despite existing labor laws that respect their rights as many of them are undocumented. An ILO analysis on the situation of domestic workers in Europe showed that despite clear domestic labor laws, European governments…

THE PHILIPPINES has one of the most optimistic consumers in the world, with the country ranking third among 58 economies in a Nielsen survey that found sentiment as having edged up globally in the third quarter. The country scored 118, up from 112 a year earlier, in the research firm’s latest Consumer Confidence Index that…

Foreign capital in the form of portfolio flows, also called “hot” money, continue to flow inward on net basis even though the volume of outflows or repatriation has gathered steam, as well. Data obtained from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that gross portfolio outflows in the year to September 14 was up 6 percent…

DELAYS IN the implementation of government programs and projects, not higher revenues, explain the lower-than-planned budget deficit. The Philippine government has targeted a full year budget deficit of 279 billion or 2.6% of gross domestic product (GDP). From January to September 2012, the programmed deficit is 183.3 billion. Yet, the Aquino administration underachieves once more,…

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad on Tuesday said the recent upgrade by Moody’s Investors Service of the Philippine credit ratings could lead to government improved spending.

INFRASTRUCTURE spending remained well below the full-year program as of September, Budget department data showed, as disbursements to some agencies were underutilized and funds remained unreleased. Budget gap widens, still well below targetSpending plan reviewedCoA questions agency’s unauthorized spendingSubsidies to state firms dropGov’t still to catch up on spending target

THE anti-poverty program isn’t working. That’s the verdict reached by two United Nations agencies, namely, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and the Aquino administration ought to listen to what they have to say.

President Aquino on Tuesday expressed confidence that the country’s export sector, which is expected to grow less than target this year, would be able to weather the challenges posed by economic difficulties hounding its key markets.

MANILA, Philippines – Three hotels in Manila made it to Conde Nast Traveler’s list of top 20 hotels in Southeast Asia, while two resorts in the Visayas were named among the best in Asia. The influential travel magazine released its much-awaited Reader’s Choice Awards 2012 in its November issue.

THERE’S a specter haunting Asia—the ghost of double—dip recession in advanced economies that small businesses are trading with is dampening confidence, a report by Regus Plc. said. “It’s clear that there’s been a stagnation in business confidence, accompanied by significant falls in some rapidly developing economies since our last BCI report in April,” said Filippo…

The Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) in Palawan has just been officially listed as a wetland of international importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje said the PPUR was the latest site to make it to the list.

Despite the Commission on Audit (CoA) reporting huge slippages in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) which is the government’s term for the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, the Palace said the Aquino administration does not have any plan to introduce revisions in the mechanism of the doleout program.

MANILA, Philippines – Moody’s Investors Service raised yesterday the Philippines’ sovereign credit rating to one notch below investment grade, citing the country’s strong economic prospects and stable financial system.

There could be a context for the obsessive verbal attacks mounted against the usual suspects by the President while he was abroad last week. That context could very well be a slew of adverse international reviews of our economic performance so far.

The Labor Department reported on Monday that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region had agreed to increase the monthly minimum allowable wages of foreign household service workers, including Filipino domestic helpers.

THE International Labor Organization (ILO) said domestic workers in rich European capitals still suffer from abuses and discrimination despite existing labor laws that respect their rights because many of them are undocumented.

MANILA, Philippines – Tagalog is now the fastest-growing language in Canada, according to Statistics Canada. Based on StatCan’s 2011 Census of Population: Linguistic Characteristics of Canadians, Tagalog is now the fifth most common non-official language spoken in Canadian households.