A YEAR’S holding of breath is expected by exporters before the sector reaches its precrisis levels, industrialist Sergio Luiz Ortiz Jr. said.

OVERSEAS Filipino workers (OFWs) remittances are likely to stagnate, and not contract, because of the global economic slowdown and the Dubai debt crisis, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). “For the Philippines, we do not see evidence of a dramatic plunge in workers’ remittances as a result of the current recession. The evidence suggests…

GOOD news: despite the global economic downturn, the number of jobs generated by the economy grew in the past year (from October 2008 to October 2009). Bad news: the number of jobs did not grow fast enough to catch up with the growth in the labor force. Based on the October 2009 Labor Force Survey…

Despite a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing most Filipinos satisfied with government’s efforts in preventing the outbreak of various deadly diseases, a UN report said the Philippines was behind when it comes to AIDS. The SWS survey reported that government’s health workers enjoyed the highest net satisfaction rating at positive 31.

HONG KONG: Laden with colorful bags full of gifts, Andy Xu makes his way through Hong Kong’s jam-packed Causeway Bay shopping district apparently unfazed by the past year’s global economic crisis.

COPENHAGEN—A weak UN climate deal, agreed on Saturday after two weeks of talks pulled back from near collapse, underscored the vulnerability of a process depending on consensus and may mark a diminishing UN role.

SAYS UN EXEC MANILA, Philippines—Many of the 200 million migrants worldwide continue to be treated as commodities, violating their basic human rights, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on the occasion of the International Migrants Day December 18.

CEBU, Philippines – After the global financial crisis reportedly affected industries, with some countries stopping their hiring of workers including nurses and caregivers, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration announced that the second batch of recruitment for nurses and caregivers to Japan would start soon.

As shown in other surveys, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd took a commanding lead in a poll conducted by the Makati Business Club of its members—but the surprising second choice was Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro. Aquino is the presidential candidate of the Liberal Party, while Teodoro—his cousin—is with the administration’s Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD).

MANILA, Philippines – A neophyte party-list group yesterday called on Congress to pass a bill that will criminalize the act of training children to be assassins as this is not covered by any existing child protection laws.

We leave behind 2009 thankful that the global financial crisis that rocked the world’s strongest economies in 2008 had been kinder to our island community of 92 million Filipinos.

MANILA, Philippines – Power plant owners are pushing for the full commercial operation of the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) to address the concern of power shortage in the future.

MANILA, Philippines – Foreign direct investments (FDI) in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone dropped by more than 67 percent for the first 11 months of the year to $73.82 million, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) reported.

MANILA, Philippines – The Board of Investments (BOI) reported over the weekend that investments went down this year when compared to the previous year, underscoring the possibility that the agency will be missing its investment target for the year.

MANILA, Philippines – Two leading analyst groups, IDC and Gartner, have brought out their informed reports and surveys that set the stage for what the IT, consumer electronics and telecommunications sector can expect in the next 12 months.

MANILA, Philippines – The growth of value of existing clients, the improvement of efficiency and the acquisition of new clients are key commercial drivers of Asian-based contact centers.

NEW YORK – More US workers, hoping to make ends meet in the recession, have turned to direct selling, but revenues are not keeping pace with growth in the sales force. The ranks of people selling wares out of their homes, at parties and door-to-door grew by 100,000 last year to 15.1 million in the…

MANILA, Philippines—The third quarter, considered the lean season in the local tourism industry, exceeded expectations as tourist arrivals grew by 17 percent to 5.2 million visitors, the Department of Tourism said.

MANILA, Philippines—A year after it has taken effect, the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) was reviewed here by both parties Friday as required by the treaty.

COPENHAGEN – A major bloc of developing nations on Saturday called a draft climate deal in Copenhagen the “worst in history” and hinted it may try to block it.

The Department of Health (DoH) has announced that the reported number of new HIV infections by the end of 2009 will increase by more than 100 percent compared to 2007.

MANILA, Philippines – Corporate and individual borrowers have been enjoying lower rates as banks have slashed interest rates by 2.1 percentage points since the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) started its easing cycle to boost the slackening domestic economy.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has reaffirmed its commitment to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) as both countries expressed general satisfaction in the overall achievements of the year-old trade agreement.

MANILA, Philippines – Police arrested yesterday the alleged leaders of a gang that employs minors to prey on shoppers in Divisoria, Manila. This developed as police doubled its patrols in the area following an upsurge in robberies and thefts reported by shoppers.

MANILA, Philippines – The workers’ union of the newly created Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has petitioned the Supreme Court to stop the agency from appoint newly-hired consultants and outsiders into plantilla positions supposed to be given to former employees of the Air Transportation Office (ATO).

MANILA, Philippines – A Lebanese employer was convicted for abusing a Filipino domestic worker, the first conviction for employee abuse in the Middle Eastern country, the Philippine embassy in Beirut reported. Fayrouz Farez was sentenced on Dec. 9 to 15 days imprisonment and ordered to pay $34 in court fines, and $7,200 in compensation to…

La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines – Elderly people who wish to continue their studies can still go back to school with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Cordillera Region’s newest scholarship program.

Foreign countries still reeling from global financial crisis deliberately slowed down this year their demand for Filipino workers, according to data released by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

A Lebanese was convicted of beating up a Filipino domestic helper in 2006, the first in the history of Lebanon. Fayrouz Farez was sentenced last Dec. 9 by a Lebanese court to 15 days in prison for beating up Jonalyn Malibago, 29, a native of Quirino province.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) through the initiatives of Commissioner Nenalyn Defensor held a “Consultative Conference on Strategies for the Conservation of Normal Schools as Focused Institutions and Strengthening of Teacher Education Institutions” on December 15, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the HEDC Function Room.