Did you hear about the 26 Japanese women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who went to a hospital in Tokyo? They had their blood drawn, but then, instead of receiving medical treatment, they were ushered into a small theatER. There they watched a performance of rakugo, the traditional Japanese comic storytelling.

The Professional Regulatory Commission reported that 32,617 out of 77,901 passed the Nurse License Examination in various cities nationwide. The less than 50 percent passing rate is horrible as usual, a testament to the quality of local nursing education. It is probably safe to say that most of those who failed were duped by scam…

Illegal dismissal presupposes the existence of employer-employee relationship. If there is none, then there is no illegal dismissal to speak of. This case of Carla sets forth the elements of employer-employee relationship.

A day after President Arroyo glowingly claimed achievements in improving the lives of Filipinos in a national address, Vice President Noli de Castro admitted the government’s unified housing program was an utter failure.

For the next nine months, forget the grand investment plans crafted by the government technocrats. They would merely drain whatever limited investment funds the state has. They are about long-gestating projects; no fruits within the short term. They would favor cronies and Big Business.

I heard that it is now a requirement that office workers in one of the Metro Manila local government areas have to have an annual medical examination. This would include urinalysis, chest x-ray, fecal analysis, and other tests. In order that the company for whom they work can maintain it’s business license all employees must…

A Malaysian information technology firm has launched a new e-commerce solution in the country this month to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in their business processes.

MANILA, Philippines – Emerging markets, including the Philippines, may expect a larger piece of the foreign investment pie as soon as investors get over their aversion to risks, spurred by an improvement in the global economic climate, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

MANILA, Philippines – While the business process outsourcing sector continues to expect growth amid the economic downturn, the roll out of newly constructed office space is expected to be limited to only half of the originally planned supply this year.

President Arroyo cannot take full credit for the performance of the country’s economy as was her boast at yesterday’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) because of factors that affect economic growth that is beyond the government’s control, UP School of Economics professor Benjamin Diokno said yesterday.

A World Bank study has cited the Philippines as a model for mobile banking, which give the poor a tool to access bank services.

Business leaders lauded President Gloria Arroyo’s “straightforward” State of the Nation Address (SONA) in which she bragged about the various accomplishments of the government, especially in the economy, under her watch, as well as hit back at critics.

GENEVA (AFP) – The contraction in trade in response to the economic crisis appears to have begun bottoming out, with Asia already showing a rebound, World Trade Organisation chief Pascal Lamy said Friday.

BANGKOK, Thailand – Tourism is expected to pick up in the Philippines next year as the global financial crisis eases and the threat of influenza A(H1N1) moderates, the Philippine Travel Agents Association (PTAA) said.

MANILA, Philippines – The latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) released yesterday showed that one in five Filipino families or about 3.7 million families have experienced hunger in the past three months.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) reported yesterday that the number of Filipinos infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has increased this year, with most cases coming from the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sector.

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo came out swinging yesterday at her critics in her last State of the Nation Address (SONA), defending her style of governance and vowing to continue to “fight” for the welfare of ordinary Filipinos and the economy up to the last day of her term in June 2010.

MANILA, Philippines – Senators criticized President Arroyo yesterday for delivering a State of the Nation Address (SONA) that painted a picture of a prosperous Philippines, which they said was far from reality.

MANILA, Philippines – Speaker Prospero Nograles, a known ally of President Arroyo, said the SONA of the chief executive was “tough but accurate and full of substance.”

MANILA, Philippines – Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro outlined his roadmap for the country’s sustained economic growth anchored on lasting peace specifically in southern Philippines.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has been known as a traditional exporter of coconut products particularly coconut oil, copra, desiccated coconut and copra meal; fresh fruit products such as pineapples, bananas and mangoes; as well as fishery products led by tuna and prawns.

MANILA, Philippines – Will the Philippines go into recession? This is a question that economists from both government and the private sector continue to debate on.

MANILA, Philippines – No less than the Philippine Constitution recognizes the vital role that information and communications play in nation building.

MANILA, Philippines – A wash with cash, investors swarmed yesterday’s Treasury bill (T-bill) auction, prompting the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) to increase the size of the awards for all three tenors.

MANILA, Philippines – Another broadcast journalist was killed yesterday in an ambush by unidentified gunmen who shot him shortly after his radio program in Surigao del Sur.

MANILA, Philippines – Passing the controversial reproductive health bill may be an uphill battle, but the leadership of the House of Representatives is determined to approve the measure that influential Catholic bishops have continued to block.

However, Anna was informed by her United States employer that her H1B petition was denied. The reason for the denial was reportedly because she did not possess a master’s degree and a license to practice. It was also cited that she did not have a social security number and was not physically present in the…

MANILA, Philippines – Subsidies disbursed by the National Government to government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) and state-owned agencies hit P6.981 billion from January to June, 90 percent higher than the P3.67 billion released in the same period last year, latest data from the Department of Finance (DOF) showed.

MANILA, Philippines – The Clark Freeport zone is proof that President Arroyo made good her promises during her State of the Nation Address (SONA) last year, Clark Development Corporation (CDC) President Benigno N. Ricafort said.

While most of the focus today is on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, many of the people who should be accountable for the true State of the Nation will be more concerned about their seating arrangement, how they’ll look and what they will be saying during the ambush interviews post SONA.