MANILA, Philippines—The South Korean government lauded Filipino scholars of the Korean International Cooperation Agency (Koica) for their efforts to promote socioeconomic development in the Philippines by applying the knowledge they gained from Korea, sharing this to other Filipinos, and organizing outreach programs for target communities nationwide.

Growth is expected to slow down some more in the fourth quarter after a marked skid in the previous quarter that may have put the economy in a technical recession based on the composite leading economic indicator (LEI) for the fourth quarter released yesterday by the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB).

MANILA, Philippines—Some 6,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Afghanistan will lose their jobs by the end of the year if the government fails to lift the ban on deployment of Filipino workers to the war-torn country.

MANILA, Philippines —Two people, including a hospital official, were hurt when an oxygen tank inside an ambulance exploded in Rosario, Batangas Wednesday morning, police said.

MULTINATIONAL and local companies should give 20-percent discounts on single parents’ purchase of milk, diaper and medicine products, especially during Christmas season, a lawmaker said Tuesday. Rep. Carol Jayne Lopez of You Against Corruption and Poverty (Yacap) party-list noted that such move would rally the much needed support for her proposed House Bill 3391 which…

MANILA, Philippines – Exporters have expressed optimism they would sustain in 2011 the export sector’s strong recovery posted this year, with revenues estimated at $50 billion by yearend.

MANILA, Philippines—The membership of the House of Representatives has ballooned to 283—and still counting. Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. administered the oath to three more party-list lawmakers before the House adjourned last week for the holidays.

MANILA, Philippines – Vice president Jejomar Binay recommended yesterday the creation of an overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) Bank that will provide OFWs competitive and cheaper remittance rates.

MANILA, Philippines—A lawmaker on Tuesday sought to lower the minimum age of criminal liability of a child offender from 15 to 12 years of age, to deter them from taking part in organized criminal activities.

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Interior and Local Government is pushing for the expansion of the use of calamity fund to include the purchase of disaster preparedness equipment to avert huge damages during calamities.

MANILA, Philippines – Vatican officials had expressed support for genetically modified crops (GMOs) but are unwilling to challenge bishops from the Philippines and other Catholic leaders who disagree, claiming GMO is being pushed by Washington, according to leaked diplomatic cables from the US embassy in the Vatican.

MANILA, Philippines – More workers nationwide are looking for additional jobs for extra income, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – An Army official warned yesterday of heightened recruitment by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) during the suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO).

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Labor and Employment vowed Wednesday to eliminate child labor in the mines of Compostela Valley, where some children work as gold ore porters on the insistence of their parents.

MANILA, Philippines – Nearly seven in 10 Filipinos are satisfied with the way democracy works in the country, according to a latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

Kaplan Higher Education, a division of the Washington Post Co., was sued in federal court in Cleveland by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Philadelphia office over claims that the company rejected job applicants based on credit history, a decision that discriminated by race.

Unemployment and poverty are related problems that must be addressed by any government. In the unique situation of the Philippine economy, these are major problems that the sitting president must give high attention to.

DAVAO CITY, Dec. 21 (PIA) — After the pilot voluntary code of good practices on decent work in the Business Process Outsourcing industry, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE XI) launched yesterday a voluntary code in the banana industry as well.

THE Department of Agriculture plans to commercialize an organic pesticide for bananas to help prolong the shelf-life of the fruits during transit to overseas markets.

SAN PEDRO, Laguna, Philippines—The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board has approved a P17 increase in daily wages in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) in response to the lone wage petition filed by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).

A Philippine-Swiss joint working group (JWG) has been formed to promote job opportunities in Switzerland for prospective overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Hong Kong and Singapore are the most investor-friendly economies in the Asia Pacific, helped by effective governments, openness to trade and “generous tax breaks,” according to a survey by Vriens & Partners Pte.

Parents and legal guardians of children with disabilities and special needs are being proposed to be given tax deduction by as much as P50,000 in their annual income.

Two incendiary changes this year helped jump-start the Philippine economy — down but not out — as it reeled from the global financial meltdown that began in the US in 2007.

MANILA, Philippines –  The economy continued to show signs of recovery – as seen in the positive performance of the composite leading economic indicators or LEI-but growth is slowing down, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has warned graduates, students, and jobseekers against marketing firms that compel applicants to purchase their products, pay for training kits, and undergo training for non-existing jobs.

ISSUANCE of pre-approved credit cards is no longer allowed based on amendments made by the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on credit card rules, which also tighten collection practices.

MANILA, Philippines – 2010 was a banner year for the Commission on Elections (Comelec), primarily due to the success of the country’s first automated polls last May 10.

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Philippines has been outpaced by neighboring Asian countries in terms of labor, employment and competitiveness, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said.

THE country’s industrial front remained relatively peaceful in 2010, the Department of Labor and Employment said.