MANILA, Philippines – The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has no problem with gays and lesbians who want to take the civil service exam, but would require them to use their latest photographs in their application forms, especially those who have altered their appearance to resemble their preferred sex.  

MANILA, Philippines – Environmentalists called yesterday on the Department of Education (DepEd) to require the teaching of “Zero Waste” to students.

MANILA, Philippines – Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), bared yesterday that the controversial issue on sex education might be taken up in their plenary meeting next month.

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) may not be able to proclaim the 22 other winning party-list groups this month, an official said yesterday.

Effectiveness of Alliance Building Strategy Validated Baltimore, Maryland:  Some 319 partners, nearly half from the private sector, helped expand education and employability opportunities for 30,000 young people in Egypt, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan and the Philippines, according to an evaluation report of five countries within the Education & Employment Alliance (EEA). ** An initiative of the…

STATEMENT TUCP VICE PRESIDENT ALEJANDRO C. VILLAVIZA WORKERS’ DELEGATE, PHILIPPINES 99TH INTERNATIONA LABOR CONFERENCE GENEVA On behalf of the workers in the Philippines, I commend the Director General Juan Somavia and ILO for programs and action to achieve our collective goal of ensuring Decent Work, particularly the right to self-organization and collective bargaining.

In the various reports of the proclamation of President and Vice President on June 9, mention was made of the fact that Aquino supporters declined to participate when Binay supporters chanted “Noy-Bi.” True enough. It was also reported that the joint session of Congress voiced no objection to the proclamations. That was perfectly true in…

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

For two months now, oil has been gushing out of a damaged oil pipe one mile under water at the Gulf of Mexico. This has produced the biggest oil spill ever, threatening the rich fishing grounds of the American south, putting wildlife in peril and posing the danger of irreparable economic damage.

THE government may undertake fresh borrowing to settle the maturing debts of state-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor). Energy Secretary Jose Ibazeta said state-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Psalm) may tap banks for another $1 billion to settle or refinance Napocor’s maturing obligations.

MANILA, Philippines – Some 21.05 million students troop back to public schools today as classes open for school year 2010-2011. Education Secretary Mona Valisno said some 3.26 million students are also expected to go back to private schools today.

PUBLIC health or public social workers, who have been transferred or reassigned without written notice or justification, can file an appeal with the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

MANILA, Philippines – President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is eyeing reforms in the agriculture sector to address the country’s poverty situation. A former agriculture secretary believes the job rests on his administration putting a premium on achieving adequate food security in the Philippines, while ensuring profitability to the country’s farmers.

MANILA, Philippines—Besides worrying about classroom shortages, textbook errors, and large classes, some teachers will now also have to worry about teaching sex education as more than 23 million students go back to schools on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON DC, United States—A US-based study on Monday linked eating white rice to higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and backed long-held claims that brown rice is healthier than the white variety.

DANILO Cardenas (left), deputy executive director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Research and Development, discusses with directors of Mindanao research and development (R&D) consortia the priority areas for agri-forestry climate-change adaptation.  The activity was part of the Mindanao R&D climate-change summit held recently in Davao City.

MANILA, Philippines–Education experts urged local officials to refrain from using their localities’ special education fund (SEF) in financing projects and programs that would just promote themselves.

We in the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) are urging President-elect Benigno Aquino 3rd to persuade American lawmakers to pass a bill that seeks to revive the textile and apparel trade between the US and the Philippines, and create thousands of new jobs in both countries.

Two Ecuadorian nationals were sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty for the murder of a Filipino maid in Toronto, Canada in Oct. 1. 2007, a report said yesterday.

Perennial problems hound public and private students from both in the elementary and secondary levels return to their respective schools today, marking the start of the 2010-2011 school year.

An anti-graft and corruption group on Monday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to refund at least P3.7 million worth of filing fees paid for 37 unresolved electoral-protests cases filed since 2007. In a statement, the Center for Anti-Graft and Corruption Prevention Inc. (The Center) said that the law obliges the Comelec to return the…

AFTER the controversy surrounding the introduction of “sex education” to elementary and high-school students, the Department of Education is mulling on replacing the word “sex” in sex education to “gender” or “sexuality” to avoid clashing with the Roman Catholic Church. According to Education Undersecretary Franklin Sunga, he will be making such recommendation to Education Secretary…

CEBU, Philippines – Only a few private schools nationwide have applied for tuition fee increase this school year.

CEBU, Philippines – An official of a plastic recycling factory in barangay Cotcot, Liloan town said neighbors who are demanding for the shutdown of the factory should also consider the interests of the more than 90 workers who would lose their jobs once it closes down.

CEBU, Philippines – The Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines is optimistic that the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board will grant its request for additional wage in Central Visayas after salary of workers in Metro Manila was increased recently by P22 per day.

BENEFICIARIES of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) remittances cut down on their savings in the aftermath of the worst global financial crisis in decades. In its latest Consumer Expectations Survey, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said that the percentage of households that allocated portions of their remittances to savings went down to 38 percent in…

It may be hot in Manila, but last week, the mercury soared in Stockholm, as members of the international community were locked in a burning discussion of the day’s headline-making issue: preparing a legally-binding treaty on mercury. With this in mind, our man in Stockholm, Manny Calonzo, reports that waste and toxic watchdog EcoWaste Coalition…

Many countries are bracing for a second wave of swine-flu infections that could sicken millions of people and hospitalize thousands, including many children and young adults. While flu viruses are notoriously capricious, making firm predictions impossible, a second wave could hit some countries and lead to major disruptions in schools, workplaces, and hospitals, according to…

15 June 2010: The ITUC and TUAC will hold a press briefing on Tuesday 15 June from 13.30-14.30 at the Palais des Nations, Geneva (Room XI – interpretation: English, German, French and Spanish) to release the Global Unions’ Statement to the G8/G20 Ontario Summits. Speakers will include Michael Sommer, President of the Confederation of German…

GENEVA: European and US interest rates are unlikely to rise before next year so as not to hurt a global economic recovery that is being weakened by Europe’s debt crisis, the world’s top central bank body said Sunday. “In the United States, federal funds futures and options suggested that the first rate hike was not…