Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines – A weather-based crop insurance coverage for farmers is being pushed by a former Agriculture secretary now serving as a legislator at the House of Representatives. Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap, who served during the Arroyo administration, wants to protect farmers from the effects of climate change by ensuring they get money depending on the weather. “This can be part of the package of social protection for the poor to help them stay afloat and be one of the tools that we can use to increase food security,” Yap said. “If we can afford to give P60 billion to P70 billion for CCT (conditional cash transfer), why can’t we set aside for index-based insurance?” he added. Under House Bill 40, farmers will be paid cash depending on the measures of indices of wind, water and dry spell, among others, as computed by the state weather bureau. The index-based program could also be triggered by extreme weather conditions, which may impact from the planting to the harvesting of crops. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Currently, the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. pays only up to P1 billion to cover for damaged crops. This, even as data showed that the country is losing around P40 billion every year from it. “That does not even cover all crops and that is the very eloquent testimony to the absence of crop insurance in the country. Without that, how are you gonna protect the farmers?” Yap said. Yap emphasized that the Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is working on another settlement with Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) after the power distributor asked a local court to stop the new rules on the retail competition and open access (RCOA). “We’re preparing our defense. Meralco’s doing the same. In the meantime, we’re trying to talk to them,” ERC commissioner Alfredo Non told reporters. “I have talked to (Meralco president and CEO) Oscar Reyes, (Meralco senior vice-president) Al Panlilio to see how we can manage the earlier settlement,” he added. In May, Meralco sought court relief after the government issued new RCOA rules that it claimed were not in accordance with Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act and its implementing rules and regulations. The company secured a temporary restraining order from the Pasig regional trial court, but ERC said it has no jurisdiction over the case. Currently, other qualified RES are continuing under the RCOA scheme. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The injunction on the new RCOA rules only brings disadvantage to distribution utilities (DUs) like Meralco because this prevents them from participating in the open market, the ERC commissioner said. “I cannot understand why DUs like Meralco and VECO would oppose the change. The longer they are in injunction, the longer they cannot participate in the CREM (Competitive Retail Electricity Market),” Non said. Under the RCOA regime, end-users who are part of the contestable market, or contestable customers, are given the choice to Read More …

In the olden days, the press secretary was the Cabinet official responsible for dealing with the press. There was no presidential spokesman… it was just the press secretary. Usually, the position was held by a seasoned former journalist. This is because the position calls for a notable professional experience as a newsman and also a strong relationship with the working press. The press secretary must be able to anticipate the needs of newsmen working against a deadline. He must know what is news and is able to present the day’s stories in a way that would be clearly understood and attract maximum attention from reporters, editors and readers.   As a journalist, having a former colleague as press secretary also means there is this important element of trust… no bum steers. He will not, for instance, claim Duterte will sit between Obama and Ban Ki Moon even if he is not sure it will happen… it didn’t. Mutual respect between news source and reporter is essential. Things are admittedly more complicated now. The press is still there, broadcast media, and now the most difficult of all, social media. There are more people speaking on behalf of the president. Aside from the communications secretary and presidential spokesman, the presidential legal counsel just can’t help himself when a microphone is before him. It is a mess. In the latest flap on Obama, all three people had something to say plus the Labor and Tourism secretaries too. All were eager to do damage control Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s healthcare information management service industry employed 100,000 people last year and generated $1.9 billion in revenues, the Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMAP) said. HIMAP president Beng Coronel said the industry is on track to hitting its target of employing 210,000 people by 2022, translating to a 100 percent jump in revenues to about $5 billion. Actual revenue growth could even be higher given the potential of the industry, Coronel said. “This is a conservative growth in revenue forecasted at 250 percent from $1.9 billion in 2015 and these figures were shown during last year’s conference,” she said. The industry has been growing since 2011 with service providers showing strong capability to offer more work. It has diversified from just medical transcription such as medical coding, medical billing, outpatient care services, telemedicine, pharmaceutical and healthcare application support. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 As the industry continues to grow, it is expected to offer a wide array of career opportunities for healthcare professionals including nurses who often find it difficult to find gainful opportunities in the country. HIMAP is organizing the Global Convergence Enabling Inclusive Care and Innovation seminar on Sept. 15. The conference is expected to look into stakeholder roles in healthcare and how some trends disrupt the growth and innovation in healthcare industry. Coronel said the conference aims to look back at the achievements of the industry and look forward to opportunities for sustained growth. “It will feature presentations and briefings by industry Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s healthcare information management service industry employed 100,000 people last year and generated $1.9 billion in revenues, the Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMAP) said. HIMAP president Beng Coronel said the industry is on track to hitting its target of employing 210,000 people by 2022, translating to a 100 percent jump in revenues to about $5 billion. Actual revenue growth could even be higher given the potential of the industry, Coronel said. “This is a conservative growth in revenue forecasted at 250 percent from $1.9 billion in 2015 and these figures were shown during last year’s conference,” she said. The industry has been growing since 2011 with service providers showing strong capability to offer more work. It has diversified from just medical transcription such as medical coding, medical billing, outpatient care services, telemedicine, pharmaceutical and healthcare application support. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 As the industry continues to grow, it is expected to offer a wide array of career opportunities for healthcare professionals including nurses who often find it difficult to find gainful opportunities in the country. HIMAP is organizing the Global Convergence Enabling Inclusive Care and Innovation on Sept. 15 to discuss ways on how to further grow the industry. The conference is expected to look into stakeholder roles in healthcare and how some trends disrupt the growth and innovation in healthcare industry. Coronel said the conference aims to look back at the achievements of the industry and look forward to opportunities for sustained Read More …