THE Philippines is poised to become the world leader in the multibillion-dollar worth healthcare information management outsourcing this year, an executive of the Information Communications and Technology Office (ICTO) said on Wednesday.

FINANCIAL analysts are in demand, with financial analysis one of the occupations in the financial services sector to have the highest potential of absorbing the most number of workers in the next five to 10 years with high premium salaries, the Department of Labor and Employment said.

THE Department of Health on Wednesday called on all enforcement agencies to strictly implement both the Mandatory Helmet Act of 2010 and the Seatbelt Use Act of 1999 as the agency recorded that road accidents topped other causes of external injuries and deaths in the country.

MINDANAO could suffer four- to eight-hour rolling blackouts in summer as the temperatures rise and demand for electricity increases, the Energy Department warned on Thursday.

President Aquino appears to be laying the groundwork for a massive mobilization to pressure Chief Justice Renato Corona to step down as head of the Supreme Court and in the process disregard the Senate court proceedings based on his speech commemorating the 26th anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution.

Playing superhero isn’t something stipulated under the job descriptions of a President, but Aquino claimed that pollution level in Metro Manila significantly went down after he became President.

A farmer-turned lawmaker has asked the House committee on agriculture and food to conduct a full-blown congressional investigation in aid of legislation into the massive rice importation, irregularities and other anomalies in the trade which allegedly defrauded the government some P1 billion in taxes.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said yesterday the remittances from overseas Filipinos (OF) coursed through banks for 2011 expanded by 7.2 percent to $20.1 billion relative to the year-ago level.

In the wake of new reports the government lost P1 billion in taxes due to undervaluation of rice importation, House Minority Leader Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez yesterday called on the administration to strengthen its campaign against the unabated smuggling which is taking its toll on the government revenue collection target.

Claiming it is violative of their constitutional rights, members of the House minority bloc joined forces with majority camp in the lower chamber to oppose the new statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALn) the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has required of them.

Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima on Wednesday said mining taxation will be revised to follow the 50-50 revenue sharing between the government and the investor in the mold of the service contract governing the Malampaya natural gas project.

OPPOSITION and administration lawmakers crossed party lines Wednesday to protest the administration’s plan to require all public officials and employees to include their gross income, personal and family expenses and income taxes paid in their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, calling it a “blatant intrusion” into their constitutional right to privacy.

FORMER senator Ernesto Maceda said Wednesday recent events have exposed the immaturity of the 52-year-old President Benigno Aquino III, and it does not bode well for the country and the people.

MANILA, Philippines – Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) hit a new record high of $20.117 billion in 2011, 7.2 percent or $1.254 billion higher than the $18.763 billion in 2010, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang assured farmer-beneficiaries yesterday that the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) was expeditiously working toward distributing land to them as mandated by the Comprehensive Agrarian Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) Law.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) recently arrested eight Chinese men for allegedly working in mining sites without work permits.

MANILA, Philippines – A lean Philippine team brought home a silver and three bronze medals in the inaugural Raffles Invitation Mathematical Olympiad held from Feb. 6 to 11 in Singapore.

Remittances by overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs) reached a new record $20.117 billion last year, up $1.254 billion from $18.763 billion in 2010, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas officer-in-charge Juan de Zuñiga noted in a statement Wednesday.

Local and foreign mining companies slammed Tuesday a proposed increase in taxes as contained in a proposed executive order, saying they will render the Philippines uncompetitive as a venue for top-grade mining investors.

MANILA, Philippines – Wanted: financial analysts. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday reported a high demand for financial analysts, but few students seem interested to pursue such profession. “Growth in the financial services industry will create many new positions for financial analysts, but there are still far more people who would like to…

EIGHT Chinese nationals were nabbed by Immigration agents as part of the agency’s crackdown against foreigners illegally working in the country. The foreigners were employed in two mining sites in Eastern Samar without the required work permits.

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday that party-list organizations have until May 31 to file a “manifestation of intent” to participate in the 2013 mid-term polls.

SENATOR Ralph Recto on Tuesday said he would be asking the Senate to investigate the doubling of the members’ contribution to the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp., which he said the agency planned to implement despite its huge cash reserves and generous budgetary support.

Abandonment is a defense sometimes used by employers when charged with illegal dismissal. But when is there abandonment? Will mere absence of the employee be considered that he has abandoned his work? This case of Andy, Nilo, Cito and Romy answers this question.

EIGHT Chinese employed in two mining sites in Eastern Samar were recently arrested for working without the required permits, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) will assess the English skills and other proficiencies of Grades 1 and 2 teachers in public schools to map out a training program to prepare them for the implementation of the Kindergarten to 12 (K-12) basic education curriculum (BEC).

PHILIPPINE cinema’s glorious years are no more. The once-lively movie industry is barely thriving, as can be seen by the number of movies locally produced every year.

MANILA, Philippines – Oil companies implemented yesterday a new round of oil price increases. Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum, Chevron Philippines, SeaOil Philippines and Total Philippines jacked up pump prices of regular and premium gasoline by 50 centavos per liter.

The Aquino government allocated P19.6 billion in counterpart funds for the government’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program this year, registering a 56.8-percent increase from 2011’s P12.5-million counterpart budget.

MANILA, Philippines – The Aquino government continues to adopt a better and more transparent compensation and incentives system based on the performance of public institutions and of individual civil servants, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said yesterday.