The subject of amending the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution took center stage in the public media recently. These economic provisions have an impact on the country’s policies toward foreign investment.

Nowadays and for the past several years, we have been experiencing more frequently and severely the wrath of nature that has caused so much devastation in this part of the world. We may consider these disasters as “acts of God” but they happen because of our own fault. We have not only harmed but also…

CEBU, Philippines — In the Philippines, English language courses come with poolside classrooms, field trips to the beach, and instructors doubling as tour guides.

Zambales Rep. Ma. Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay yesterday chided President Aquino for trumpeting economic progress when the truth of the matter is that investors are pulling out their investments in the country because the government cannot protect their businesses.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teddy Casiño and retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz yesterday branded as “degrading to human dignity” the administration’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program. Casiño told the weekly Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) forum that the CCT had been utterly useless in addressing poverty and hunger and it was not what the…

Contrary to what President Aquino has been trumpeting as his administration denying officials of state agencies fat allowances and bonuses, the Commission on Audit (CoA) in a recent report said officials of the Philippine International Convention Center Inc. (PICCI) which runs the state-owned Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) are receiving “irregular” per diems and reimbursable…

Thirty years into the AIDS epidemic, a cure remains elusive but a growing arsenal of drugs could someday help end new infections, the World Health Organization’s HIV/AIDS chief says. The key is figuring out how to best manage the latest advances, Gottfried Hirnschall said in an interview with AFP during a visit to Washington this…

MANILA, Philippines – “Normina,” a Filipina domestic worker in Saudia Arabia, ran away years ago from her employer after she was abused, but still works in the country as an illegal “maid for rent.” With no contract and therefore no rights, she is employed by two Saudi families, has no days off and makes 800…

Next week marks the two-year anniversary of the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Dodd-Frank is the bill President Obama signed into law to protect consumers and rein in risky Wall Street behavior after the housing and financial crisis made clear that the world of finance is rigged to benefit…

17 July 2012 – The United Nations is providing training for young people to become entrepreneurs in the Philippines as a way to reduce poverty and stop the labour force from migrating to other countries.

ELEMENTS: Let us add a fourth element to the Three E’s discussed in our July 12 Postscript on restoring order and sanity to the 23.8-kilometer Epifanio delos Santos Avenue.

One third of the Philippines population live in poverty, and thousands head out every day to work abroad. The ILO is promoting entrepreneurship as an alternative to hard-to-get wage jobs and migration. SIBAGAT, Philippines (ILO News) – Jayson Canete wanted to pursue a degree in engineering after he graduated from high school, but he had…

Ten million Filipinos labor overseas, often in horrendous conditions, to earn a few dollars. Even more Filipinos, almost 20 million families, labor each day in various conditions of difficulties to eke out a living to pay for food, water, electricity and other basics. Over and above all that, they also pay for one thing that…

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS STATEMENT TUCP lauds ILO for acting on complaint, assails DOLE Former Senator and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) President Ernesto F. Herrera has commended the International Labor Organization (ILO) for acting swiftly on the complaint lodged by TUCP concerning the nomination of a workers’ adviser in the 2012 International…

The Office of the Ombudsman has reactivated the Environmental Team which will primarily handle cases involving violation of environmental laws or those that concern environmental protection.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) challenged President Aquino to take action on several bills for teachers’ compensation pending before the houses of Congress. Benjo Basas, the group’s chairman said “this is the high time to discuss the pending bills on teachers’ salaries and this is far more important than the proposed K+12 program of the…

MANILA, Philippines – Amending the economic provisions of the Constitution might just delay economic progress, according to President Aquino. “Changing the Constitution changes the rules of the game which might only delay the progress,” he said.

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Manila, Philippines – Foreign portfolio investments – also called “hot money” for the ease with which they enter and exit economies – posted a net outflow last month as uncertainties in Europe resulted into risk aversion, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

Manila, Philippines – The 2nd Philippine Retirement and Healthcare Summit held at the Dusit Thani Hotel Grand Ballroom on June 26 indicated that the Philippine Retirement and Ageing Agenda mapped out by the Philippine Retirement Authority is on the right track.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) challenged President Aquino to take action on several bills for teachers’ compensation pending before the houses of Congress. Benjo Basas, the group’s chairman said “this is the high time to discuss the pending bills on teachers’ salaries and this is far more important than the proposed K+12 program of the…

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) expressed concern yesterday over the increasing number of women who are getting involved in illegal drug activities. Allegedly, more and more women are being arrested, particularly for drug pushing as evidenced by the 213 women who were nabbed nationwide during the last six months.

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ABOUT 100 delegates from the government sector, non-government organizations and sugar industry stakeholders gather Thursday at the L ‘Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City to address the issue of child labor in the sugar industry.

A concerted government and private sector effort is needed to put a stop to child labor in Western Visayas, which has the third highest number in the Philippines, a Department of Interior and Local Government official said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine economy could still grow by five percent to six percent this year despite the difficult global environment, the country’s economic planning chief said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – Public school teachers want the Aquino administration to further hike their pay instead of pushing ahead with the implementation of the Department of Education’s ambitious K (Kindergarten) to 12 basic education curriculum (BEC) reform program that will add two years of senior high school in 2016.

MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino has remained firm in his stand against introducing amendments to the 1987 Constitution but nevertheless expressed willingness to listen to the wisdom of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

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