In the Philippines and elsewhere, employees are paid a salary to compensate them for the work that they do for the company. However, in the Philippines, annual minimum wage increases mandated by the government have interfered with competitive market forces. Over the years workers have come to expect that every year, regardless of their performance…

UNITED NATIONS–A UN conference ended here Friday with broad consensus on the need to help developing nations cope with the global financial crisis but with the United States voicing strong reservations about key recommendations.

Local steel fabricators have asked the government to allow the importation of raw materials from Japan despite opposition from Global Steel Philippines Inc., citing the inferior quality and the limited volume of the country’s sole producer.

THE Bureau of Food and Drugs has ordered the recall of all Hydroxycut products, which are supposed to help people lose weight, for health reasons.

Migrante International, a global alliance of Filipino migrant organizations, has asked the government to immediately act to rescue about 20 Filipino women who were reportedly being held at a recruitment office in Dammam, Saudi Arabia where they are being allegedly treated as its owner’s harem.

The United Nation’s Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) issued a stinging slap on the face of the country’s anti-drug czar President Arroyo after it named the Philippines a major transshipment point for methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu and ranked it among the top five sources in the world of the illegal drug.

Avon, the company for women, once more showed its commitment to well-being of women by recently awarding the Women’s Crisis Center (WCC) with funds from its Speak Out Against Domestic Violence campaign. WCC is a non-stock, non-profit private institution that helps women survivors of domestiv violence.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is embarking on two major projects that would help address climate change, with funding support of some 4,430,000 euros from the Republic of Germany through Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ).

NEARLY all registered businesses in the country are classified as small and medium enterprises. They account for half of employment and represent around 60 percent of the country’s export firms.

Special Report: DOST helps SMEs survive FROM an association of agrarian farmers to a flower cooperative, from a shrimp fry hatchery to banana tissue culture businesses, small entrepreneurs across the country are demonstrating that they can cope with the global financial crisis.

MANILA, Philippines—The country’s 1.3 million village health workers should be given the chance to train as midwives, nurses, doctors, and other health professionals, said Akbayan Representatives Risa Hontiveros and Walden Bello.

MANILA, Philippines—The exodus of Filipino teachers to other countries is expected to continue in the coming years, according to a labor group.

Because it dismantled labs MANILA, Philippines—The branding of the Philippines as a top producer of shabu stemmed from its law enforcement agencies’ success in dismantling illegal drug operations and clandestine laboratories, a Malacañang official said Saturday.

As prices improve, firms scramble to develop sites MANILA, Philippines – Prospects of mining firms are looking up as the price of gold continues to improve, according to government and company officials.

CEBU, Philippines – To further promote the tourism industry, the National Association of the Independent Travel Agencies- Philippines Inc. is now studying on the possibility of putting up tour packages for shorter routes within the country.

The Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines, through their officer-in-charge Engr. Sonia Valdeavilla, reports a drop in growth in construction of 8.2 percent in 2008, mainly due to a drop in public construction activities and a decline in public works capital outlays. Till tax revenues increase, they expect this to continue.

Ms. Cynthia Carreon of the Department of Foreign Affairs looks at the still-raging global crisis as a tremendous opportunity for us. According to the DFA, Canada is looking at the Philippines for possible accreditation of our local hospitals in their medical tourism thrust. Ms. Carreon is optimistic that by 2012, we will be generating $312…

MANILA, Philippines – With the global air transport industry still reeling from the effects of the financial crisis, international passenger demand declined 9.3 percent in May this year while freight demand dropped 17.4 percent, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said.

Twenty-six faculty members, including former deans of the University of the Philippines College of Law, recently issued a statement of support for House Bill 5043, or the “Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act of 2009.” The signatories are the third group of academicians and professionals who have expressed support for the passage of the…

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo ordered yesterday the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to expand reforestation projects in the country.

Noting the success of Brazilian government’s anti-poverty program, President Arroyo said her government would seek bilateral and multilateral funding assistance to her Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, which provides grants to the extremely poor Filipino families for their health, nutrition and education needs, particularly children aged 0-14.

The government has scored “breakthroughs” in documenting the vigilante-style killings being attributed to the so-called Davao Death Squads (DDS) and now appears to be some steps closer to unveiling the mystery behind these senseless killings.

SALES of preneed plans were up in the first four months as clients bought more life products during the period, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said.

The country’s biggest fast food chain plans to open more store openings abroad as it remains “cautious” in the second semester due to an expected slowdown in remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

San Miguel, Aboitiz offers disappoint The first bidding for independent power producer administrators (IPPA) who would manage the contracted capacities of state-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) failed after the two participants’ offers fell below the government’s reserve price.

BASEL (AFP) – The head of the international body tasked with restoring stability to the world’s financial system said Saturday that the system had improved significantly but was “not out of the woods yet.

When the financial crisis predictably turned into a jobs crisis, the Asia-Pacific region found itself facing mass unemployment. As many as 100 million people in Asia could be unemployed this year, according to ILO estimates. Allan Dow, ILO press officer, reports from Thailand.

IN a welcome eco-friendly move, telecom leader Smart, having previously harnessed wind and solar energy to power cell sites, is set on deploying fuel cell technology as part of its “Alternative Power for Cell Sites” program—the first industry player to do so.

NEDA expects more investors coming in The government sees slow but sure rebound of the economy late this year despite dire prediction that the country would experience recession before 2009 ends. “Well, moving upward is the direction. And the current target of 0.8 percent to 1.8 percent [growth in the gross domestic product for 2009]…

IF THE NUMEROUS English-language teaching centers in our urban centers today that cater to Koreans is used as the yardstick, we have reason to say that the Philippines has good linguistic educational facilities.