As so-called low-base factors, as a result of the comparatively low growth rates last year, subside, economic growth is seen to slow down from the record 7.9 percent in the first half and settle at an overall 6.2 percent gross domestic product expansion by the end of the year, the revised Asian Development Outlook (ADO)…

THE Philippines’ industrial sector continued to grow by double digits in July, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said Tuesday. Data from NSO showed that the country’s purchases of foreign-made goods rose 16.2 percent to $4.678 billion in July from $4.026 billion in the same period last year.

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Tuesday morning conducted on-the-spot drug tests to bus drivers, conductors and employees plying the route of Southern Tagalog and Manila—to determine who are drug dependents. This was made after Homer Mercado, president of the Southern Luzon Bus Operators Association personally requested PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago in his…

The country’s influential Roman Catholic bishops on Tuesday warned that they would support protests against President Benigno Aquino 3rd if he pushed through with his plan to promote contraception. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said that it was offended by President Aquino’s statement on Monday in which he said his government would…

We played a new game at the Tuesday Club yesterday. It is called Can You Believe What Your Favorite Tycoon Paid in Taxes? Tony Lopez brought the latest issue of his magazine, Biz News Asia, whose cover story is entitled Heroes, or the list of the top 500 taxpayers based on 2008. Tony said he…

ASIAN COUNTRIES need to raise the level of their rice stocks to help stabilize prices and improve food security in a region where 65% of the world’s hungry live, a report said.

CALL CENTERS in the Philippines expect revenues to increase 23% to $6.15 billion by yearend, sustaining the sector’s average annual growth rate.

MANILA, Philippines – In the next three years, the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry will generate the most jobs for Filipinos in the country. This, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), is a result of President Benigno Aquino III’s working visit to the US, where he tapped foreign companies to invest in…

SEN. Franklin Drilon asked the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Tuesday to look into the “exploitative” practices of some countries in the Southeast Asia concerning on-the-job trainings (OJTs). “We have discovered that in the hotel industry abroad, particularly in Southeast Asia, there are a number of OJTs getting paid half of the normal salary,”…

Parties with pending labor cases can personally check the status of their cases by simply visiting the website of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) at www.dole.gov.ph. Posting the status of all labor cases on its website was one of the Labor department’s “100-days reform deliverable” under the Aquino administration and was delivered by…

Critics should not link the stand of President Benigno Aquino 3rd favoring government promotion of contraceptives to a $434-million grant from the US Millennium Challenge Corp., a senator said on Tuesday. “It would be unfair to link [President Aquino’s] stand to the Millennium Challenge grant because with or without it, family planning is an issue…

MANILA, Philippines – A neophyte congressman filed yesterday a bill that seeks to reduce the cost of electricity by stopping the practice of power distributors of billing customers for electricity that is stolen or lost in their distribution lines.

MANILA, Philippines – Amidst all the hoopla of social media and video downloads as the primary drivers of Internet usage, a strong link has been established between broadband connectivity and penetration to economic growth and progress.

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada on Wednesday said he is hopeful that the passage of a bill granting better benefits to household workers would become a model legislation that the Philippines’ neighboring countries can look up to.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine contact center (call center) industry is expected to experience a 20 percent growth annually in terms of revenues in the next three years.

MANILA, Philippines – To provide better protection and benefits for workers nationwide, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) pushed yesterday for the immediate passage of the Philippine Workers’ Compensation Authority Bill (PWCAB).

MANILA, Philippines – The delay in the implementation of the Comprehensive Motor Vehicle Development Plan (CMVDP) will not discourage auto companies from investing further in the country, local automotive manufacturers said.

MANILA, Philippines – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has upgraded anew its growth forecast for the Philippine economy this year to 6.2 percent on the back of increased consumption, stronger investment inflows and a rebound in trade.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

MANILA, Philippines – Employees and consultants of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) under contracts of service received more than P3.4 million in unauthorized bonuses and allowances last year.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday unveiled its ambitious 12-year basic education curriculum (BEC) plan that could change the current structure from 10 years with six years of elementary level and four years of high school to a combined Grades 1 to 12 path.

CEBU, Philippines – Thirteen new cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus have been discovered from July up to last week bringing to 163 the total number of HIV cases recorded in Cebu City since January this year.

Diabetes is a serious disease. If you have it, following the treatment plan you and your doctor have agreed on takes round-the-clock commitment. It may not always be easy, but your efforts are worthwhile. That’s because thoughtful or thorough diabetes care can reduce your risk of serious even life-threatening  complications.

Republic of the Philippines HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Quezon City FIFTEENTH CONGRESS First Regular Session Privilege Speech, “In Memory of Romelyn Eroy Ibañez”, REP. RAYMOND DEMOCRITO C. MENDOZA Trade Union Congress Party (TUCP Party-List) September 28, 2010

Last year the Supreme Court limited credit card interest to a percent and penalty to another percent a month. (See http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2009/september2009/175490.htm.) In writing last week about the little known ruling I may have opened a can of worms. Readers are complaining not only against rate overcharging but also other perceived abuses by card companies, and…

MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino is still allowed to appoint and reshuffle officials even with the existing appointment ban during the campaign period leading to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on Oct. 25, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) will increase premium contributions for new members from P300 to P600 quarterly starting October 1, a circular from the PhilHealth president shows.

MANILA, Philippines—Over 1,000 jobs will be generated and P19.2 billion added to the economy if software piracy will be reduced in the Philippines by 10 percentage points, an independent study revealed on Tuesday.

Country in ‘white’ list of tax standard-compliant states THE PHILIPPINES has been raised to the “white list” of countries complying with an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) tax information sharing standard.