MANILA, Philippines—Drivers and conductors of public utility buses (PUB) should now be paid fixed salaries following an order by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) abolishing the commission system for such workers.

This is a really tricky thing. There can be one situation, and it can be seen differently depending on where one is coming from. What makes the process of perception complicated is our own emotional issues. Sometimes we live in a reality that is fabricated by our own personal complexities, and we operate from that…

NEWS ANALYSIS MANILA: Economic managers of the Philippine government have said that the country’s gross domestic product ( GDP) would grow by 5 to 6 percent this year despite uncertainties in the global economy.

MANILA, Philippines – The net inflow of foreign portfolio investments or “hot money” managed to breach the $4 billion level last year despite the economic uncertainty in the US as well as the debt crisis in Europe, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported over the weekend.

SPECIAL REPORT: CHINA In reaction to the global economic slowdown, China in 2012 and beyond aims to focus on growing domestic consumption and correcting imbalances in its development, officials said.

I don’t know what came over me, but after years of retirement from kitchen duties, I found myself doing Pote Gallego for noche buena. And once I got started I felt driven to cook on.

MANILA, Philippines – As the European Union debt crisis deepens, a Filipino nonprofit group has expressed fears that Filipino workers in the euro zone will continue to stick it out there despite their precarious situation and as a result, could become victims of human traffickers, especially in Italy and Spain.

Inflation rate in December decelerated to an 11-month low of 4.2 percent from 4.8 percent in November as increases in food prices and utility rates slowed, the National Statistics Office said Thursday.

Effective January 16, all bus drivers particularly in Metro Manila will receive a fix salary.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

The outlook for IT spending this year isn’t quite as rosy as Gartner previously predicted. Spending on IT products and services is expected to reach $3.8 trillion in 2012, a 3.7 percent rise from last year when spending totaled $3.7 trillion and had climbed by 6.9 percent from 2010.

Last of two parts The law applies to all — or none at all. — Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim The nation’s high hopes for governance reform got a couple of boosts this week. On Tuesday the Cabinet Cluster on Good Governance and Anti-Corruption, chaired by President Benigno Aquino 3rd himself, adopted the Good Governance and…

MANILA, Philippines – A good but challenging year. This was how Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez described the local tourism industry in 2011 despite a series of natural calamities and problems encountered by the department.

THE Energy department expects the independent audit of oil companies’ books to push through as soon as it completes the term of reference for the participating review committee.

Before taking a stand on the Corona impeachment case which is now obviously the subject of trial by publicity, it would be good for citizens of this country to at least have some basic knowledge and understanding of certain concepts and principles involved in the controversy.

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 212 individuals were confirmed HIV-positive by the STD/AIDS Cooperative Central Laboratory (SACCL) in its November 2011 report posted by the Philippine HIV/AIDS registry.

Corruption by lawmakers in the use of their so-called pork barrel continues to take place even under the stewardship of President Aquino, a political ally in the Senate bared yesterday.

Hacienda Luisita farm workers petitioned the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to revoke a 15-year-old land-use conversion order it issued to Hacienda Luisita Inc. and called for the distribution of the lands to farmworkers.

Majority of Filipino workers in Syria have rejected the Philippine government’s offer to repatriate them to the Philippines for free amid the worsening political security situation in the troubled Middle East state, citing scant employment opportunities back home, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario admitted yesterday.

Government officials shrugged off fears of a possible displacement of thousands of call center agents in the country as a result of a proposed bill in the United States seeking to stop America from engaging in business process outsourcing (BPO) while the Palace seems totally in the dark about it.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) gave a five to six percent growth forecast this year but warned that the local economy may be affected by a prolonged political conflict in the country involving the branches of government, highlighted by efforts to oust Chief Justice Renato Corona.

A lawmaker is strongly pushing the provision of assistance to first- time job seekers by waiving government fees and charges collected in connection with requirements for employment.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said yesterday there is no need for another stimulus package at this time to spur economic growth given the available budget for various projects to be released immediately.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is closely watching over the possible slowdown in the operations of American-owned business process outsourcing (BPO) firms in the country.

Last December 28, 2011, STAR’s Paolo Romero reported that UP (University of the Philippines) Assistant Professor Marivic Raquiza had questioned the prioritization and budget allocation that the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) has placed on the CCT (Conditional Cash Transfer) program, to the alleged detriment of the department’s other programs.

THE Aquino administration plans to accelerate the implementation of its public-private partnership (PPP) program, targeting to bid out eight to 16 projects this year. In a briefing, Cosette Canilao, PPP Center executive director, told reporters on Wednesday that the indicative cost of the eight to 16 projects to be rolled out this year amounts to…

MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Audit (COA) has uncovered several irregularities, such as fictitious training sessions and the double entry of names, in the Pangulong Gloria Scholarship program implemented by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda).

The country’s attention in the last few days has been riveted on the casualties from the New Year revelry. Cameras focused on the grimacing faces of the victims while medical professionals ran around trying to do what they could given the dire situation; and I refer not only to the seemingly endless stream of victims…