The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has settled a labor dispute involving 39 Filipino workers in Tripoli, Libya, who have complained of delayed salaries, unsuitable accommodations, inadequate food and water, and lack of medical benefits.

The Department of Finance (DOF) is amenable to reviewing the current law on the so-called sin taxes, which could help raise additional revenues for the cash-strapped government. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said he will support a review of the present structure of sin taxes, which are basically levies imposed on alcohol and tobacco products.

Championing tax laws can have serious repercussions for a politician. Take Sen. Ralph Recto, for instance. In the Thirteenth Congress (2004 to 2007), Recto as chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, sponsored numerous revenue measures, the most controversial of which was the Reformed Value-Added Tax (RVAT) law that increased the VAT from…

As the value-added tax (VAT) on road toll has been put on hold by the Supreme Court—and since the court could make this temporary restraining order against “a tax [the VAT] on a tax [the toll]” permanent—the Department of Finance (DOF) is looking for other means of raising additional revenues through the government’s other line…

The Philippines is one of the few countries in the world, that is advance in terms of institutionalizing its duty on human rights. 1. The Barangay Human Rights Action Center (BHRAC) was created in 1994 by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Department of Interior and Local Government. It seeks to empower the…

THE Malacañang-proposed budget for 2011 will amend the law granting P500 in monthly pension to every indigent senior citizen and disenfranchise about 850,000 of them, Sen. Ralph Recto said Friday.

MANILA, Philippines – Banks and fund managers – key players in the financial markets – are increasingly turning bullish on the country’s strong economic prospects this year.

MANILA, Philippines—The extremely poor households that benefited from the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program spent their money wisely on food and on their children’s basic needs, according to Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman.

MANILA, Philippines – The government’s housing czar, Vice President Jejomar Binay, has ordered an inquiry into the alleged fraudulent use of Pag-Ibig Fund housing loan proceeds by real estate developer Globe Asiatique.

MANILA, Philippines—The poorest of poor Filipinos will enjoy an additional P8 billion in cash subsidies from the government, but this will only be made possible at the expense of the country’s rice farmers whose livelihood depends on selling what they produce to the National Food Authority.

AROUND 105 leaders of informal sector, including women’s group in Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental, gathered Friday to support the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill.

If you are a battered woman, you are living on a roller coaster of feelings. Your man is predictable in his unpredictability. He can swing from happy, sweet moments to explosive violence at the drop of a hat. You never know what he will do, how he will interpret a word or an action of…

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECoP) has voiced full support to the proposal by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) for the implementation of a two-tier wage system. Certain issues may need to be addressed to bring about the needed reforms.

A recent survey by research firm Gartner has revealed that many CIOs and human resources (HR) leaders continue to be required to do more with less budget, and that employee headcount has not returned to pre-recession levels.

A striking 87 percent increase in the number of individuals who tested positive for HIV was reported Friday by the Department of Health (DoH) when it released its surveillance data pointing to 131 new infections in July 2010.

What’s with buses in the Philippines? Why have they become instruments of death for dozens of people? Aside from the ill-fated tourist coach that a wild ex-cop hijacked on August 23 in Manila, other buses have brought death and injury to dozens of passengers with growing frequency in other parts of the country.

PUBLIC transport officials on Thursday agreed to police their ranks against drivers hooked on illegal drugs to assure the safety of the riding public. Several transport groups also agreed to asked for government support on the expenditures of their drivers who will undergo mandatory drug testing, aside from the regular drug testing they take whenever…

THE Philippines’ goal to reduce the number of Filipinos living in extreme poverty and subsistence by 12.5 percent in 2015 is “unrealistic,” according to the chief of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The Aquino administration is not prioritizing the creation of a Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), said Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., citing a lack of funds coupled with government austerity measures.

A RECENT survey conducted by the European Union has shown the need for further education and training on human rights from the ranks of the military.

MELBOURNE, Australia—Civil society representatives from more than 70 countries wrapped up a UN forum Wednesday with an urgent call to action to improve the health of millions of people worldwide and step up efforts to achieve the globally agreed anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

MANILA, Philippines—In Valenzuela City early this year, fourth graders were given a Math quiz in Filipino while sixth graders took the same quiz in English. Who fared better? Surprise, surprise: The fourth graders who had taken the quiz in Filipino scored higher marks.

P.Noy’s commitment to extend the basic education cycle from 10 to 12 years has provoked adverse comments from activist groups, self-proclaimed “pro-poor” politicians, media commentators, and even some academics. It is time to step back and set the premises upon which people of goodwill can base the search for common ground.

MANILA, Philippines – A senior member of the British Parliament has taken important steps to further improve the working condition of Filipino nurses in the country.

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The Aug. 23 botched hostage rescue operation that left at least eight Hong Kong Chinese tourists dead, with eight injured, and more traumatized by the incident, has cast a “very dark cloud” over the image of the Philippines in the eyes of the international community, a European Union (EU) official yesterday said.

Every Congress opening, the RH bill is re-filed and its proponents and supporters always come out with statements that it will surely be enacted into law this time around because more and more legislators are supporting it, particularly the leadership in both Houses. Yet at the closing of every Congress, said bill still remains un-enacted.…

The alleged human rights violations committed during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will not be the priority of the new chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights. Newly-installed CHR chief Loretta Ann Rosales said she will let critics of the previous administration file the charges, which they deem necessary. “The CHR is an…

MANILA, Philippines – Aside from pilots, the country is suffering from a severe shortage of highly skilled information and communication technology (ICT) workers.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said yesterday that they will be going after industries that have cartel-like operations to bring down the prices of goods and protect consumers.