The meat processing industry expects to rebound from a flat performance in the first quarter of the year to a full-year growth of up to 10 percent despite the global economic recession.

About P80 billion worth of funds lay idle in the banks in the first quarter of 2009, as news of global economic recession forced families of migrant Filipino workers to save their money instead of spend them, resulting in a dismal 0.4-percent growth in gross domestic product during the period.

Public school teachers and nurses are bound to be shortchanged under the modified compensation and classification system for state workers embodied in Joint Resolution 26 already approved by the bicameral conference committee, Senator Pia Cayetano said yesterday.

The Center for Legislative Development (CLD), an organization that conducts research and engages in policy advocacy, urged the national government to make quality healthcare services in the country accessible, available, affordable and acceptable in a policy discussion.

Sales growth of pharmaceutical products in the country would slow down this year due to the economic downturn and expiring patents, the local pharmaceutical industry said.

The sale of local currency-denominated bonds or debt papers in the country accelerated in the first quarter of the year—which was seen as the highest in the region—as the government implemented a fiscal stimulus program to offset economic slowdown while private firms raised funds for their respective expansion programs, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.

SEOGWIPO, South Korea: South Korea and Asean on Tuesday completed a free-trade agreement covering almost 650 million people, while vowing to fight protectionism and tackling together the global economic crisis.

BAGUIO: US high-tech components producer Moog Inc. will cut staff at its Philippines unit by almost 30 percent as it is hit by the global economic downturn, the local Labor office reported Tuesday.

Filipino seafarers still in demand worldwide   Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Corp. will hire 24,000 more Filipino workers for its Subic and Misamis Oriental plants, the government announced on Tuesday.

This week, governments, workers and employers representing the ILO’s 183 member States begin a two-year process during which they will discuss a ground-breaking draft labour standard on HIV/AIDS in the world of work. ILO Online asked ILO/AIDS Director Dr. Sophia Kisting to explain the significance of this development, and how a new labour standard would…

MANILA, Philippines—American investment banking giant Merrill Lynch has scaled down its economic growth outlook for the Philippines this year to 1.4 percent from 3.1 percent following an anemic first-quarter output.

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MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is not attracting as much foreign investments because laws in the country make it difficult for companies to infuse capital, the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) said yesterday.

Nope, we’re not going to talk about sex, lies, and videotape here. It seems everybody’s talking about that, it’s coming out of our ears. We have no Hayden agenda, we simply want to bare the lies, half-truths, and myths that have persisted or been perpetuated through the years.

Sleep is perhaps the most mysterious of all human activities. No one can really define its biological function — that is, why it is restful and necessary — or come up with a foolproof recipe for a good night’s sleep. Soldiers, health care professionals, call center workers, pilots and flight attendants, and many others suffer…

LEAD PACK: It is too early to credit the Korina Sanchez factor, but her prospective bridegroom Mar Roxas has just vaulted five percentage points from way behind to join the lead pack in the May 2010 presidential race.

MANILA, Philippines – Treasury bill (T-bill) rates went up slightly across the board at yesterday’s auction due to poor investor appetite for government debt papers following a disappointing first quarter economic growth of 0.4 percent.

MANILA, Philippines – The Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC) is not expecting the economy to slip into a recession this year, thanks to the country’s strong remittance inflows and revenues from the information technology (IT) services sector.

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Noli de Castro has remained the top choice of Filipinos to succeed President Arroyo in 2010, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey that included new names as possible presidential contenders.

IF we want to bring quality back into public education, we must start with the teachers. There was a time in the Philippines when the graduates of the public school system were as good as if not better than those who graduated from the private schools. Public school grads spoke well, wrote well, and were…

The Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC) on Monday ticked off supposed failings of the Philippine economy that would make it difficult for the country to recover and grow when the global crisis blew over.

A few days ago, seven female workers returned home from the Middle East, each telling a litany of woes about her cruel and abusive Arabian employer. They were accompanied by Senator Manuel Villar, who paid for their air fare.

SEOUL—The South Korean government is amnestying undocumented Filipino workers here after President Arroyo appealed to President Lee Myung-Bak on their behalf at the weekend.

BY ALL INDICATIONS, the Philippine economy is already in recession. With last week’s announcement of an insignificant 0.4-percent first quarter growth in the economy, government statisticians forthrightly described the economy as “teetering into recession.”

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang condemned yesterday what it said was the increasing atrocities of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) against civilians and communities.

A local migrant worker group yesterday assailed the planned signing of a labor agreement between the Philippines and Korea, saying the pact would put Filipino workers at a disadvantageous situation.

VARIOUS commodity manufacturers, including cement-makers, flour millers and bakers’ groups, trooped to the Tariff Commission last Friday, seeking relief amid the economic slowdown.

PROPERTY firms are shifting focus, with mall developers reinventing themselves and housing construction scraping at the bottom, to keep afloat as the Philippine economy teeters into a recession.

CEBU, Philippines – The Department of Interior and Local Government has given local governments until June 30 to craft or “repair” their own Citizen’s Charter, the guide for residents on availing frontline services of government at the shortest possible time.

The Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), chaired by Dr. Jesus P. Estanislao, recently honored 15 companies in the Philippines as 2008’s top-performing organizations based on the 4th Corporate Governance (CG) Scorecard Project. The annual event aims to promote fairness, accountability, and transparency in all publicly listed business operations in the country.