(First of three parts) In 2006, the endorsement by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to the Secretary of Finance for his approval of the draft revenue regulations (RR) on transfer pricing (TP), was announced to the public. Since then tax practitioners around the world have been expecting the formal issuance of the first Philippine…

AVARICE: The way the association of private hospitals has been insisting on raising their already exorbitant fees, one shudders at the thought that it seems even the government cannot stop the gouging of the sick and the dying.

It’s now or never for controversial bill—solons MANILA, Philippines—The leadership of the House of Representatives will meet on Tuesday to finalize the rules and procedures for the debates on the reproductive health bill in order to bring the controversial measure to a vote before the 14th Congress adjourns next year.

A BUS group on the Edsa route is adopting the global positioning system to track its rolling stocks. Madelene Guillermo, Mega Manila Operators and Drivers Alliance president, said the upgrade would enable them to maximize fuel efficiency, help prevent traffic accidents and make the transport business viable.

VICE President Noli de Castro has rejected the request of subdivision developers and condominium builders for an easing of a circular, which sets a minimum level of development before they can start selling.

HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque III has assured drug makers that increased sales volume will offset the P7-billion losses they incurred from the price cut in medicines since Sept. 15.

In the wake of continuing debates between pro-lifers and advocates of the controversial Lagman bill (what is euphemistically called Reproductive Health and Population Management Act, a coverup of the promotion of the use of artificial contraceptives by the State), there’s need to clarify certain points. Real issues have been beclouded.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The global economy is clawing its way back from synchronized recession, led by growth in Asia and a tepid rebound in other regions, Group of 20 leaders will likely affirm at their upcoming summit. The G-20 leaders will consider unwinding the unprecedented support to help recovery, but are expected to be cautious in…

The TUCP also cautioned the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) against raising its mandatory contribution rates, saying this would unduly burden its 7.4 million member-workers.

CEBU, Philippines – The Central Visayas Regional Development Council encourages all regional line agencies to put up breastfeeding facilities for the convenience of working lactating mothers.

CEBU, Philippines – At least 11 workers groups and unions, which compose the Cebu Labor Coalition, will be filing today a petition seeking for a P126.60 across the board increase in the daily minimum wages of workers in Central Visayas before the regional office of the Regional Tripartite Wage Productivity Board.

THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) is getting behind the high-level mission sent by the International Labor Organization (ILO) to Manila to investigate widespread complaints of violations of the rights of Filipino workers to freely organize themselves. We are absolutely supportive of the mission. We are hopeful that their findings and recommendations will…

This is shoe disturbing: An investigation on toxins in flip-flops, sandals, clogs, and other plastic shoes in seven countries, including the Philippines, has unearthed scary concentrations of harmful chemicals that are injurious to human health and the environment.

MANILA, Philippines – The combined net earnings of companies listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange jumped 46.3 percent in the first half this year to P193.43 billion, indicating that major firms have recovered from the global financial crisis.

MANILA, Philippines – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, the largest labor group in the country, rejected yesterday the proposal of the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) to increase its membership contribution rate, saying the move would be an additional burden to the housing fund’s 7.4 million members.

MANILA, PHilippines – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will revive a technical working group (TWG) to review and regulate the advertisements of food supplements now flooding the Philippine market.

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang said yesterday private hospitals that will raise fees to cope with the cost of the implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Law could face sanctions.

Three days after he typecast the urban poor protesters as lazybones, the militant organized labor led by Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) yesterday turned the tables on Vice President Noli de Castro, branding him as an anti-poor bureaucrat “bootlicking for the Arroyo government” and vowed to campaign against him in the forthcoming elections.

A group called Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo among the doomsayers on the success of the automated elections next year after Melo admitted that Comelec expects 30 to 50 percent of polling precincts to remain using the manual system due to electricity problems.

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Paying heed to the complaints of farmers in Cagayan Valley about the low buying price of corn, the national government has increased its buying price and the volume to be bought from every farmer.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The jobs situation could worsen slightly over the coming few months, US President Barack Obama warned Sunday as he declined to spell out whether the world’s largest economy was out of recession.

MANILA, Philippines—What can go wrong with the P7.2 billion poll automation plan of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and are there means to prevent them?

THE SLIGHTLY POSITIVE GDP growth our economy achieved in the second quarter was primarily the result of government’s extraordinary efforts to spend our way out of the global economic downturn.

THE GOVERNMENT IS DOUBLING ITS subsidy for the National Food Authority in 2010 to P8 billion in an apparent move to avert a repeat of the rice crisis in 2008 as it continues its stimulus spending next year.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Energy has finally formed the National Renewable Energy Board, a move seen to speed up the setting of mechanisms and incentives critical to the implementation of the renewable energy law.

MANILA, Philippines—While insisting on their religious and academic freedoms when it comes to implementing provisions of the new Magna Carta of Women, private Catholic schools are asking for more and bigger subsidies from the government.

LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA—Noting earlier recommendations from the International Labor Organization that remain unheeded by companies, workers from Southern Tagalog called on the world body to spend more time interviewing them during its fact-finding mission.

The National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) is moving heaven and earth to ensure compliance with environmental laws by creating a new squad that will run after, arrest and prosecute environmental violators.

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) has formally launched its manual for members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to guide them on how to deal with children in conflict with the law (CICL) as spelled out in the the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – The country’s wooden pallet industry is booming. A pallet is a platform device that holds one or more cargo packages in a group. It allows a load to be transferred and stored as a unit.