Making businesses grow need not always require huge investments. This is what we have learned when we studied nine out of some 350 micro, small and medium-scale enterprises currently assisted by the Business Advisory Program (BAP) of Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).

CEBU, Philippines – The Alliance of Progressive Labor plans to file a petition for a wage increase anytime this month after they deferred their plans to file for a similar petition last January due to the global economic crisis.

MANILA, Philippines – Two very important pieces of legislation – the Climate Change Act of 2009 and Anti-Torture Act of 2009 – have been approved in the bicameral conference committee and are just awaiting approval from President Arroyo.

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang has exempted the business process outsourcing and electronics industries from tomorrow’s special non-working holiday.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday that only four strikes took place in the country during the first eight months of 2009.

AFTER we succeeded in convincing the government to set up Policewomen’s Desks in each precinct in 1994, our organization, Kalakasan, has been involved in organizing community-support mechanisms for victims of violence and abuse.

FOR MANY years, women NGOs (non-government organizations) lobbied for the passage of the Magna Carta of Women (MCW). It was their fervent wish that a permanent statute be enacted that would recognize the rights of women in nation building and ensure the substantive equality of men and women.

(AS HUNDREDS of women activists and advocates begin to draft proposals for the implementing rules of the recently signed Republic Act No. 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women, Talk of the Town asked women leaders why the new law is an important achievement. The Magna Carta translates into law the spirit and letter of…

1 million families to get money before polls Malacañang will legitimize massive campaign funding for the administration party that would even use contributions from state financial institutions with the plan to infuse P7 billion more until next year for cash transfer programs of President Arroyo or the so-called Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P).

Urban renewal helps to provide more homes for the needy “Hindi ko naisip na magiging ganito ang buhay namin. Akala ko, habang buhay na lang kami sa squatters. Akala ko habang buhay sasalubong ang amoy ng maruming kanal pag gising ko bawa’t umaga.” (“I never thought that our life could be this way. I thought…

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) said that results of the 2009 National Achievement Test (NAT) showed a continuing improvement in the proficiencies of public school students over the past several years.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Commission on Human Rights yesterday launched a program that aims to institutionalize human rights at the local government level.

NEW DELHI (AFP) – – Ministers from key trading nations who agreed to resume stalled talks on a new global free-trade pact say big hurdles remain to clinching a deal that has eluded negotiators for years.

MANILA, Philippines – Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and other senior trade officials attending the ongoing Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in India are being urged to remain firm in defending the Philippine agricultural sector against unfair trade deals that may be detrimental to Filipino farmers.

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country have to deal with lack of an enabling environment, access to finance and markets and productivity, Rhodora Leaño, the director of the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development, said during a roundtable at The Manila Times on Friday.

BERLIN: The global economy “appears to be emerging” from a steep slump and countries should plan to wind down stimulus efforts, according to International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn day.

MANILA, Philippines – For five straight months, customers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will be paying less for their electricity bills, a company official said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – Due to the Philippines’ high vulnerability to rising sea levels and destructive typhoons, President Arroyo has ordered concerned government agencies to rush the formulation of an adaptation plan for the country against the effects of climate change, officials said yesterday.

There is no doubt that the political stock of Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas has risen quite sharply with his surprising announcement in giving way to the presidential bid of Sen. Benigno “”Noynoy” Aquino III and accepting to be his vice presidential candidate. But as of press time, Noynoy has not yet made the decision to…

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo has set aside P12 billion in her proposed P1.541-trillion 2010 national budget as subsidy for poor families, or more than double this year’s allocation of P5 billion.

Beyond its mandate of service to its members, the SSS has always been aware of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) towards the greater public and its role as an instrument of humanitarian and social work. Starting from simple financial donations to socio-civic and charitable institutions, the SSS has ince expanded its CSR programs to incorporate…

NEW DELHI: India’s trade minister reminded World Trade Organization (WTO) members Friday of the work needed to clinch a new global free-trade pact next year as ministers from more than 30 countries wrapped up a two-day meeting here.

Long-awaited talks in Norway this weekend between the Philippine government and Maoist rebels aimed at ending a deadly 40-year insurgency will not go ahead, both sides said Friday.

MANILA, Philippines – Rising debt service expense and government payroll have led to the contraction of proposed infrastructure funds for next year, Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. said yesterday.

Finance ministers from the world’s most powerful economies have agreed a series of measures to try to regulate the global banking system.

BERLIN—Sex happens 125 million times a day, but the subject remains taboo and the issues associated with it—including abortion and contraception—remain a source of division among people with different persuasions, a conference was told here Monday.

MANILA, Philippines — An organization of Asian migrant labor organizations Thursday denounced a Hong Kong government decision to freeze foreign domestic workers’ monthly wages at the current HK$3,580 (about P22,500) level.

A bill pending before the Senate committee on labor and employment that proposes to radically amend Labor Code provisions on contracting and subcontracting will wreak havoc on the economy by forcing out of business independent contractors and service providers.

The severity of the global economic downturn was not anticipated by policymakers.

Sometimes, the best way to uncover the real motives for outwardly inexplicable actions is to let some time pass. In the case of the controversial proposed nationwide ban on aerial spraying of fungicides in banana plantations in Mindanao, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that neither the public’s health nor the protection of the environment are…