RECORD-HIGH unemployment among Filipino adults is rising, from 11 million to 14 million in the first quarter of this year.

In the light of the results of the 2009 first quarter Social Weather Stations (SWS), the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) clarified the official definition of unemployment as used in the Labor Force Survey (LFS) which is conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO), which should be considered when conducting surveys.

The government has its count of how many jobless Filipinos there are. The IBON Foundation disputes these figures as an “underestimation.” In the foundation’s writings some malice is hinted at.

(Excerpted from the milestone paper by the Chief Labor and Employment Officer of the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES), Department of Labor and Employment(DOLE), Manila, Philippines “Redefining the Labor Force Framework: Some Inputs from the Philippine Experience.” The paper was prepared for the seminar on “Employment and unemployment: Revisiting the relevance and conceptual…

MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — The Asian Development Bank said Saturday the Philippines has failed to follow a commitment to reduce the number of state-run corporations that have been bleeding government coffers dry.

MANILA, Philippines—A construction worker died when he fell from a 25-foot-high scaffold, part of which collapsed while he and another worker were painting a covered court at a private school in Quezon City on Friday afternoon.

Reuters/AFP – U.S. economic data offered more evidence on Friday that the recession’s worst phase may be over, with April consumer prices unchanged and industrial output declining at a slower pace than in March.

AFP – A union representing the Philippines’ 350,000 merchant seamen on Saturday demanded better protection for the sailors in Africa and warned freed victims of pirates may sue their employers for damages.

BATANGAS CITY, Philippines – A brother of a militant labor leader was shot dead by two men while a 12-year-old boy was hit by a stray bullet in the foot in Calaca town last Thursday night, police said.

The alleged suicide of Trina Etong, wife of broadcaster Ted Failon, brings into focus the tragic, but preventable, act of a person taking his own life.

‘Gov’t beholden to very few who hold RP wealth’ DAVAO CITY, Philippines—The Philippines remains in the control of oligarchs because the government is beholden to them, according to Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

Spending more time in the sun could help older people cut their risk of heart disease and diabetes say experts.

The amended guidelines governing the construction of homes for average- and low-income families are now in place, Vice President Noli de Castro said yesterday.

FILIPINO workers sent home a record $1.5 billion in March, up 3.1 percent from a year ago, as demand for overseas labor remained steady despite the global economic crisis, the central bank said yesterday.

PARIS — The International Energy Agency forecast on Thursday a 28-year record annual drop in global oil demand, saying optimism for economic recovery was not yet reviving appetite for the crucial commodity. The agency further trimmed its forecast for 2009, which it estimated at 83.2 million barrels per day (bpd), three percent lower than last…

The phrase “last big push” graphically denotes a woman’s pushing a baby out of her womb. It is, too, the apt title of a forum held in Cebu City pushing for the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill that is pending in the Senate and the House. The initiative was organized by the Democratic Socialist…

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representatives in the Philippines is urging the Department of Health (DoH) to intensify its efforts in improving reproductive and maternal health services in order to reduce the number of mothers dying during pregnancy and childbirth as well as improve the survival rate of newborns in the country.

SUBIC BAY–Deep water ports around the Philippines are fast resembling parking lots as shipping companies caught by the slump in global trade look for places to park their unused vessels.

MANILA, Philippines – The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has put on hold its plan to invest the $400 million remaining under its $1-billion Global Investment Program (GIP) in the wake of the global financial turmoil.

Some people succeed in their career, some people don’t. All things being equal, the person with a better attitude is the same person who is liked and this person WILL get the promotions. You cannot succeed alone. You need to earn the respect of your co-workers and you need to earn the admiration of your…

MANILA, Philippines – Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) hit a record-high of $1.5 billion in March, bringing the first quarter total to $4.057 billion, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported yesterday.

Rosanna is a 40-year-old social development consultant who has been living with her boyfriend for the last 15 or so odd years. Rosanna shares the realities of living together as a happily unmarried couple.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the OPEC Fund for International Development have extended P10 billion in official development assistance (ODA) for basic rural infrastructure projects to the Department of Agrarian Reform.

HONG KONG–Dozens of nations were to sign a new treaty Friday to make ship recycling safer, but activists call it a step backwards for the environment and the labourers who carry out the dangerous work.

MANILA, Philippines – Even if the global recession is to extend longer than expected, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) said the Philippines would fare relatively well although the impact on the country’s debt profile could trigger a credit ratings downgrade.

MANILA, Philippines – More jobs await Filipino workers in Singapore, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – Portfolio investments or “hot money” registered with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed a net outflow of $276.1 million in April, reversing a net inflow of $32.2 million in March as investors fled the market after the government admitted overshooting its deficit target amid declining revenues.

MANILA, Philippines – Consumer confidence is higher in the Philippines than other countries with six out of 10 Filipinos saying that there is no significant drop in their personal finances despite the global economic slowdown, according to a survey conducted by AC Nielsen.

MANILA, Philippines – Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. yesterday warned that the dismal human rights record of the Arroyo administration is making the Philippines more unattractive to foreign investments and forcing donor-countries to drastically reduce, if not withdraw, development aid.

MANILA, Philippines – The European Union (EU) is prodding the government to make reproductive health (RH) more accessible to the people.