Maniolas

THE Social Security System (SSS) membership, including overseas Filipino workers, increased by 11.5 percent in the past four years to 32.1 million in 2014 from 28.8 million in 2010. Data showed that employed members increased by 18.1 percent in the past four years to 23.5 million in 2014 from 19.9 million in 2010. OFWs registered the largest increase at 42.9 percent to one million from around 700,000. There was also a significant increase among voluntary members at 37.5 percent to 3.3 million from 2.4 million. However, self-employed members dropped by 23.2 percent to 4.3 million in 2014 from 5.6 million in 2010. Marissu G. Bugante, SSS vice president for public affairs, said during a press briefing at Grand Men Seng Hotel on Monday night that the increase in SSS membership shows that more and more Filipinos are getting proper jobs brought by the recent economic growth in the country. In order to address the increasing number of members, SSS is set to open five new branches and another five service offices within this year. However, Bugante said she still does not have the information as to where these branches and service office will be set up. Recently, they opened their SSS Ilustre Branch at Giasano Grand Mall, which offers all of the SSS services except for their e-center. For 2014, Bugante said they have opened a total of 25 branches, 13 service offices, and three foreign representatives in Muscat, Oman; Tokyo, Japan; and Toronto, Canada. She said they will continue Read More …

FIVE road projects worth P330 million and designed to boost tourism are scheduled in Compostela Valley this year. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Davao Region said three of the projects, amounting to P250 million, will be implemented by the regional office.The other two, amounting to P80 million, will be implemented by the Compostela Valley-District Engineering Office (DEO). The projects are the P80 million concreting of Bantacan road leading to Tadia Fall of New Bataan; P80 million concreting of New Albay-Marangig road in Maragusan leading to Marangig Waterfalls and Pyalitan Waterfalls in Maragusan; and the P90 million concreting of road from Ubuton, New Bataan to Camp Uno leading to White Peak, New Bataan. The projects to be implemented by the Comval-DEO are the P40 million concreting of Nabunturan Public Market Road and the P40 million concreting of Barangay Pindasan Circumferential Road in Mabini leading to Kopiat and Lunod Island and MabiniBeact Resorts. The five projects will have a total length of 11.20 kilometers.The projects were identified through the Convergence Program of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the DPWH. Christine Dompor, Compostela Valley provincial tourism officer, said 13 projects were lined up for 2015 but only the five were approved. (RJF) Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on February 19, 2015. DISCLAIMER: Sun.Star website welcomes friendly debate, but comments posted on this site do not necessary reflect the views of the Sun.Star management and its affiliates. Sun.Star reserves the right to delete, reproduce or modify comments posted Read More …

Petitioner Dionarto Q. Noblejas was appointed by respondent Italian Maritime Acadamy Philippines, Inc. (IMAPI) as training instructor/assessor on a contractual basis for three months effective May 20, 2009. After the expiration of the three-month period, IMAPI hired Noblejas anew as training instructor/assessor with the same salary rate but no written contract was executed for his rehiring. In a case for illegal dismissal filed by Noblejas against IMAPI, the former claims that he already attained the status of a regular employee because he was allowed to work beyond the stipulated period of his employment and he performed functions which were necessary or desirable in the usual business or trade of IMAPI. Does his contention find merit? Ruling: Yes. Pursuant to Article 280 of the Labor Code, there are two kinds of regular employees, namely: (1) those who are engaged to perform activities that are usually necessary or desirable in the usual business or trade of the employer; and (2) those who have rendered at least one year of service, whether continuous or broken, with respect to the activities in which they are employed. Regular employees are further classified into (1) regular employees by nature of work and (2) regular employees by years of service. The former refers to those employees who perform a particular function that is necessary or desirable in the usual business or trade of the employer, regardless of their length of service; while the latter refers to those employees who have been performing the job, regardless of its Read More …

(NEW OFFICE). Canadian Manufacturing sales and marketing director Chand Daryanani outside their newly-opened office on A.C. Cortes St. in Mandaue City.  (Amper Campaña) A MANILA – based manufacturer of bed linens and accessories has expanded its presence in Cebu by opening a satellite office in Mandaue City. Canadian Manufacturing, which is operated by Classic Characters Inc., said it wants to grow its market share in Cebu, primarily among hotels, from 15 percent to 20 percent to 25 percent in the next five years, according to its sales and marketing director Chand Daryanani. The Canadian brand has been in the market for 56 years already, but it is only now that it opened an office in Cebu. Aside from hotels, its products also include towels and pillows. It also has a retail presence in department stores. “Cebu is one of the places in the country that is attracting a lot of tourists…Definitely, this is helping us grow,” the official said. Canadian Manufacturing also opened an office in Coron in Palawan and is targeting to open more offices in Iloilo, Davao and Cagayan de Oro, where tourism is also on the upswing. “(The expansion) now is all about growth. We build and build, (increase our capacity) until we got to a point where we think we can expand,” Daryanani said. He said the company is also riding on the growth of the tourism industry, where more hotel establishments are being built yearly. Canadian Manufacturing has served the A market, down to C and Read More …