MANILA, Philippines – Although a boon to the economy, the call center industry has its share of difficulties.

AS OF MAY THIS YEAR, THE GOVernment had spent P579 billion against revenue collection of only P456 billion, leading to a deficit of P123 billion. The government has already revised its deficit target twice this year, as the original full-year target of P102 billion had been exceeded in just the first four months of the…

MANILA, Philippines – Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto said the government’s successful global bond offer last week reflected strong investor confidence in the Philippines.

MANILA, Philippines – Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the country’s biggest lender, expects the Philippine economy to make a “slow, steep climb” in 2009, although ending at a marginal 0.25-percent growth rate for the whole year.

MANILA, Philippines – About 1,400 Filipino workers in Cebu City are now assured of job security after their employers became recipients of the Special Visa for Employment Generation from the Bureau of Immigration.

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Local leaders in Sulu want more government investments in infrastructure and livelihood projects in areas where the Abu Sayyaf operates instead of amnesty for members of the notorious bandit group.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Energy (DOE) task force wants to determine if oil companies could be held criminally liable for not reflecting true oil prices.

MANILA, Philippines – With more than 200 million people now working and living outside their own country, a United Nations migration expert said attention must be drawn to existing protection and policy gaps which adversely affect “children left behind,” “children on the move,” and “children in host countries.”

• Government decision on compensation expected • Evidence suggests toxic fibres cause ovarian cancer The lethal threat from asbestos fibres may have been seriously underestimated, medical researchers are warning, as thousands of people with asbestos-related illnesses wait to hear whether they can sue for compensation.

THE Philippines and Israel are bent on increasing trade relations, starting with finding new markets in both countries. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the matter was signed this week by Isidor Gilan, director of the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines; Miguel Varela, chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and…

The reason for competing is to improve the human condition. This is why the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Policy Center continues engaging in competitiveness studies—it is not to rank or study the ranking of countries or cities for the sake of ranking. The purpose is to spur activities that will lead to economic growth…

Key infrastructure projects require huge funding estimated at P2 trillion. According to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), P1.15 trillion will come from the national government and P613 billion from the private sector.

The Philippine dependency ratio is a nightmare. At 61.66 percent, it means too few Filipinos are expected to support too many.

Editor’s note: Elmer Hernandez is the undersecretary for Industry and Investments at the Department of Trade and Industry. Following is his reaction to the competitiveness report. Overall, 2009 will be about achieving a flat trend in competitiveness rating because of the global financial crisis.

SPECIAL REPORT: PHILIPPINES COMPETITIVENESS   State of the Nation   In health, science and technology, education, energy and many other areas, the Philippines scored the second worst in a competitiveness rating of 57 countries.

Unless the Commission on Elections (Comelec) takes the proper steps, Makati Mayor and United Opposition (UNO) president Jejomar Binay sees a chaotic election in 2010 with voters grappling with automated voting and clustered precincts.

In a bid to boost its standing in Southeast Asia, the United States will finally accede next week to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), a sign that Washington is expanding its engagement in a region “neglected” for several years under the Bush administration, diplomatic sources said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – Most Filipino adults would oppose moves to amend the Constitution if the changes would extend the term of President Arroyo beyond 2010, results of a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

NEW YORK (Reuters) — Nouriel Roubini, one of the few economists who accurately predicted the magnitude of the financial crisis, said on Thursday that the worst of the turmoil has passed.

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – – Malaysia’s recent liberalisation moves are having little immediate success in reviving the economy, a leading think tank said as it downgraded its 2009 growth forecast.

The use of supposedly banned chemicals in the manufacture of animal-based food products must be put to a stop.

GOODYEAR Philippines Inc. is closing down its tire manufacturing operations by Sept. 30 following a slump in exports, which account for half of its business in the Philippines.

The business pages of both the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippine Star carried almost identical headlines the other day. “Remittances surged to $1.48B in May,” said the Inquirer. “OFW remittances hit record high in May,” said The Star. One cannot miss the celebratory tone in which Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr.…

Although we seem to have a never-ending problem of unemployment and underemployment, the more pressing predicament in this crucial economic time we are in is unmotivated employees. They stay with you, but they are not there. They simply fulfill the minimum requirements of the job, they stay within the limits of your Code of Discipline…

State-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) said it targets to privatize the Limay combined cycle power plant in Bataan before the end of the month.

Local sugar production has suffered a double-digit drop for the crop year 2008-2009 due to typhoons that ravaged plantations during the period, the government said Friday. According to Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Rafael Coscolluela, sugar production dropped by 15 percent to 2.09 million metric tons (MT) from 2.4 million MT in 2007 and 2008…

PRICES of construction materials in Metro Manila contracted for a second month in June, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said.

Opposition to Charter change continues to mount, especially when such amendment to the Constitution would allow President Gloria Arroyo to remain in power even after the expiration of her term next year.

Giant tire manufacturer Goodyear on Friday announced it would be closing down its Philippine production facility by end-September, which will leave 500 people jobless.

State-run Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) said that the impending privatization of the Angat hydroelectric power plant may adversely affect Metro Manila’s water supply.