Maniolas

Cornell University LEADNY 2016 Fellows with the Philippine Embassy’s Commercial Counsellor Raymond Batac (front row, left), Public Diplomacy Officer Darell Artates (front row, 2nd from left), Economic Minister Jose Victor Chan-Gonzaga (front row, 3rd from left), and Labor Attaché Saul de Vries (front row, right) during their briefing on 28 September 2016. WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 2016 batch of Cornell University’s LEADNY received a comprehensive briefing on the Philippines on 28 September 2016 at the Philippine Embassy. During the briefing, the twenty-two (22) LEADNY 2016 Fellows were apprised of current conditions and trends in Philippine agriculture, labor market, and trade and commerce. Snapshots of Philippine culture and politics were also presented to provide the group with a holistic picture of the country. “We thank LEADNY for choosing the Philippines as a focus of interest this year. This presents valuable partnership opportunities in the agriculture and agribusiness sectors, which have been designated as high priority areas by the Duterte Administration,” said Dr. Josyline Javelosa, Philippine Agriculture Attaché for the Americas. The 2016 Fellows will travel to the Philippines in February 2017 to learn more about the country’s food and agricultural sectors. The Embassy briefing was a joint presentation of Dr. Javelosa, Commercial Counselor Raymond Batac, Labor Attaché Saul De Vries, Political Officer Gunther Sales, and Public Diplomacy Officer Darell Artates. “Our economic diplomacy has always taken a long and integrated view. Engaging future leaders and policymakers in strategic sectors is a necessary step to the creation of productive and enduring collaborative relationships,” Read More …

By Leilani S. Junio Job applicants wait in line outside a shopping mall in Manila, Tuesday. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) warned companies of possible closure or cancellation of their license to operate if they fail to address labor contractualization or end-of-contract policies in their work force..(MNS photo) MANILA, Oct. 5 (PNA) – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Wednesday that job creation is still one of the priorities of the department under the Duterte administration. “What I can tell you is that in the Department of Labor, we have generated new employment opportunities…Nag- increase ng mga 12 percent. It is an increase. Malaki na iyon,” said DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III in a weekly media forum in Manila. Secretary Bello said that aside from creation of additional jobs, the DOLE is also concerned with addressing the problem of illegal contractualization work schemes and increasing the minimum wage of workers in response to the claim of the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) that the government has not been putting focus on job creation. Bello said that the 12 percent increase in employment since the Duterte administration took over almost 100 days ago was proof of the government’s accomplishments in the labor front. On Tuesday, ECOP Chair Emeritus Donald Dee assailed the DOLE for being more concerned in advancing their personal “philosophical” advocacies than creating jobs for Filipinos. In particular, Dee pointed at the DOLE’s push for the proposed PHP125 daily wage hike across-the-board, which Read More …

Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights chairperson Sen. Richard Gordon (center), Sen. Vicente Sotto III, and Sen. Panfilo Lacson ask questions during the Senate investigation on extra-judicial killings on Monday. MANILA, Oct 5 (Mabuhay) – It was “unnecessary” for President Rodrigo Duterte to have told United States President Barack Obama to “go to hell,” Senator Panfilo Lacson said Wednesday. “These are unnecessary comments, yung go to hell. For what? Pero ang impact sa kabilang party, masyadong matindi,” Lacson said. On Tuesday, Duterte hit out anew at the US and the European Union in yet another tirade against critics of his administration’s anti-crime war. “Instead of helping us, ang unang tumira, itong [US] State Department. So, you can go to hell. Mr. Obama, you can go to hell,” Duterte said. “EU, better choose purgatory. Puno na ang impiyerno. Bakit ako matakot sa inyo?” the President added. Still, Lacson said it is Duterte’s call if he will not heed advice from his allies to refrain from making controversial statements in public engagements. “That’s his call. And kung ayaw nya mag-shut ng mouth, it’s up to him. And it seems hindi talaga siya tinatablan ng advice. So what he deems fit yan na lang gawin niya,” he said. Senator Richard Gordon earlier said Duterte was “falling on his own sword” for being “too noisy” on publicly expressing his desire to have suspected drug users and pushers killed. “Maingay ang Pangulo, sobrang ingay ng Pangulo. Tama lang na ipakita niya na galit siya Read More …

SENATE PAYS TRIBUTE TO SEN. MIRIAM DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO: Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (2nd from left) hands over a copy of a senate resolution, expressing the Senate’s profound sympathy and sincere condolence on the passing of former Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, to her husband Narciso “Jun” Santiago (3rd from left) during her wake at the Cathedral Grottos of the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral in Quezon City on Saturday, October 1, 2016. Pimentel earlier said that Santiago was the “best president our nation never had,” and that the country has lost a moral giant in the fight against corruption and an intellectual force and brilliant legal mind in Philippine politics. Also in photo are (from right to left) Senators Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito Estrada and Risa Hontiveros, along with Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon. (MNS photo) MANILA, Oct 4 (Mabuhay) – Minority congressmen who call themselves the “Magnificent 7” seemed lukewarm to the idea of working for the legalization of same-sex marriage for now. In a regular news conference, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and Akbayan party-list Rep. Tomasito “Tom” Villarin both said although they are willing to discuss proposals on the civil union between members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, they believe it is not yet the right time for that, since there are still other similar pending measures that have to be prioritized. They were reacting to House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s statement saying he is already drafting a bill in support of same-sex civil union, adding that Read More …

COCONUT WEEK. Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture & Food, tours the exhibits during the 29th National Coconut Week and 2nd International Coconut Festival & Trade Fair at the Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. The senator was the guest speaker in the said event organized by the Philippine Coconut Authority. In her keynote address, Villar undercores the importance of supporting the coconut industry especially the micro, small, medium enterprises (MSMES), to be more competitive. She also cites the need to help our farmers who belong to the country’s poorest sector. (MNS photo) MANILA, Oct 4 (Mabuhay) – The Philippines is not ready to have the rice importation quota lifted, considering that Filipino farmers must be prepared for such an eventuality, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said Tuesday. “I disagree with the view that will lift the QR (quantitative restriction) at this point in time, because the Filipino farmer is not prepared,” Piñol told a Senate hearing on the department’s proposed budget for 2017. The government plans to lift the QR on rice importation, which is supposedly good for the economy. The QR has been in place since the country joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995, capping the amount of Philippine rice imports. The country has a minimum access volume (MAV) of 805,000 metric tons (MT). The MAV is “the volume of a specific agricultural product that is allowed to be imported with a lower tariff as committed by the Philippines to the Read More …