THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry will start reviewing the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) by next month, with a DTI official saying the country will push for more benefits for agricultural products.
Jan 262014
Jan 262014
NATIONAL elections are just around the corner, but the polls are the least of the Aquino administration’s more immediate concerns. Understandably, it wants to focus on instituting more reforms in the remaining two-and-a half years, or at least on initiating changes in areas of governance that need improvement.
Jan 262014
Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, seated left, chairperson of Philippine Government Peace Panel, and Mohagher Iqbal, seated right, chief negotiator for the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), sign documents with Malaysian facilitator Abdul Ghafar Tengku Mohamed, sitting center, as witness, during the 43rd GPH-MILF Exploratory Talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014. AP PHOTO/LAI SENG SIN MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines on Sunday won global praise as well as pledges of support to help in achieving lasting peace and economic development in Mindanao following the signing between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of the last agreement needed before the conclusion of a final peace accord. Messages of congratulations poured in from nations and international organizations aiding the peace talks a day after the government and the MILF signed the normalization annex of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland, European Union and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon sent separate statements commending the negotiating panels of the two sides as well as President Aquino and MILF chair Murad Ebrahim for Saturday’s achievement. Ban, in a statement on the UN website, commended Aquino and Murad for their “vision and leadership,” and the peace panels for their “perseverance, commitment and courage” in the peace process. Ban also expressed his “sincere gratitude” to Malaysia for its role as negotiator. “The UN secretary expresses the readiness of the United Nations to accompany the final phase of the peace process and the implementation of Read More …
Jan 262014
Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:03 am | Monday, January 27th, 2014 Bureau of Immigration building. Photo from Bureau of Immmigration website MANILA, Philippines—Foreigners with pending employment visa applications are still required to secure a provisional working permit (PWP) from the Bureau of Immigration. This was announced by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz who instructed all Department of Labor and Employment regional offices to remind foreign nationals in their areas who had started working for local entities to secure PWPs even while their applications for an Alien Employment Permit or employment visa were still being processed. Earlier, Immigration Commissioner Siegfred Mison issued Operation Order 2013-019, the Rules on Provisional Working Permit, emphasizing the need for foreign workers to secure PWPs. The PWP shall be valid for three months or until a working (commercial) visa has been issued in favor of the applicant, whichever comes first.—Tina G. Santos Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: aliens , Bureau of Immigration , employment visa , Immigration , Philippines , provisional permits , work permits Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or write The Readers’ Advocate: c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer Chino Roces Avenue corner Yague and Mascardo Streets, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Read More …
Jan 262014
Horses can tutor human beings about faith and affection. Practicing psychiatric therapists use them in their treatment programs with psychologically embattled patients, who often connect with their equine buddies even when they are not capable of establishing relationships with other people. Horses are quick to smell deceit, compel people to depend on their gut feelings and to be authentic. In another horse tale, writer Ariana Strozzi powerfully revealed how horses reflect your inner world and provide dramatic, transformative changes in the way you see yourself. She mapped out a path to leadership that begins with self-understanding from an organic viewpoint. She declared, “When you learn to think more like a horse, you develop your instinctive imagination and create new possibilities for your life. And rather than focusing on what is wrong with you, shift your attention towards what you’re naturally good at. On this path, you focus on staying connected to what has meaning and purpose.” Horse sense is common sense. A horse shows you what you truly need to do to inspire and lead people. It’s about understanding how to inspire people, because a horse cares about how much you care, not about your titles or positions. A horse reacts to you exactly as you present who you are, reflecting your leadership style, and how you’re perceived and received. It considers its rider a partner, and focuses on what it does, acting and reacting with total awareness. The book Horse Sense: How to Pull Ahead On The Business Track, authored by Read More …
Jan 262014
Pump and dump: Leonardo DiCaprio as stockbroker Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street. Everybody likes to win. Everybody wants to root for a winner, especially an underdog. Losing sucks. Although it is a necessary part of life, we all prefer to win. The world we live in is centered on winners. This might be deeply hardwired into our psyche to survive. Darwin could have been an economist. After all, in a dog-eat-dog world isn’t it survival of the fittest? Welcome to the jungle. The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort. Jordan is your epitome of a smooth-talking Wall Street “pump and dump” shyster who is incredibly talented but destined for a massive fail at the end. In true sex, drugs and rock-’n’-roll (money) fashion, we have an extreme example of how human wants and needs can drive us towards criminal enterprise. The criminal mind can often justify the activity as free enterprise, or, in Jordan’s words, “This is America.” Wealth can fuel the morally bankrupt. After all, who wouldn’t want a 170-foot yacht, a chopper, a palatial house, two vacation homes, sports cars, a trophy wife, a mob of minions and sycophants and almost US$1 million/week in cash flow and orgies the Romans could only have dreamed of? Unfortunately for Jordan, the law of gravity prevails at the end. It all comes crashing down and you almost feel bad for the guy. There are some real lessons and insights that come Read More …
Jan 262014
Only 30 percent of the 13,028 Filipino high school seniors who took and passed the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) in 2013 were students from public high schools, the Philippine Collegian reported in its latest issue. Citing data from the UP Office of Admissions and a report of the “Study Group on Admissions” convened by UP president Alfredo Pascual, the Philippine Collegian reported the UPCAT “can be seen as discriminating actively against students from poorer backgrounds.” The Collegian said “the representation of public high school students in UP Diliman is even lower at barely 12 percent, or 467 out of 3,913 UPCAT passers. “From 2009 to 2013, 50 percent of UPCAT passers came from private schools, 20 percent from public science high schools, and only about 30 percent from public general and barangay schools,” Hans Christian Marin and Keith Richard Mariano of the Philippine Collegian wrote. Science high schools are also run using public funds, but they have selective admission and retention policies and use curricula different from those of the Department of Education public schools. The UP study group said examinees from the private schools “have a distinct advantage over those from public schools…” Marin and Mariano reported that the study group proposed the revision of the UPCAT formula to give more weight to the performance of an applicant during high school. The study group wants the weight of high school grades raised to 60 percent from 40 percent of the UPCAT score. “[This] will give them higher chances Read More …
Jan 262014
The Commission on Audit has issued a notice of disallowance to the Department of Tourism for P162.3 million in unauthorized bonuses and allowances given to officials and employees in 2011 and 2012. The notice includes an order to return the disallowed benefits. According to a report that the COA released on its website on Friday, auditors found the following unauthorized disbursements: P10.99 million in excess Collective Negotiations Agreement (CNA) incentives for 2011 P40.84 million in economic assistance (P26.89M in 2011 and P13.95M in 2012) P53.33 million in economic relief allowance (P23.26M in 2011 and P19.49M in 2012) P5.82 million in calamity assistance for 2012 P5.96 million in birthday bonuses (P2.45M in 2011 and P3.51M in 2012) P29.28 million in educational assistance (P12.96M in 2011 and P16.31M in 2012) P16.22 million in professional and persona enhancement incentives in 2012 COA said the 2011 CNA authorized an across-the-board incentive of P25,000 but that the DOT released P48,000 per employee, an excess that totalled P10.99 million. The Tourism also failed to seek approval from the Office of the President for P151.447 million in extra benefits granted in 2011 and 2012. “The payment of allowances and other forms of compensation without proper authority is deemed an irregular expenditure, hence, Notice of Disallowance No. 13-002-101 (11-12) dated November 5, 2013 was issued,” COA said. According to a transmittal letter attached to the audit report, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. received a copy of the audit findings on December 27, 2013. — JDS, GMA News
Jan 262014
Sheila Coronel PHOTO/COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY JOURNALISM SCHOOL Peace and journalism were in the spotlight last week with news involving two Filipino women. They’re also sisters. The first came from New York where veteran journalist Sheila Coronel was named academic dean of the Columbia Journalism School, considered the top J-School in the US. It was wonderful news that made many of us who’ve known Sheila for years proud. Then a few days later, it was her sister’s turn. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, known as Iye, is head of the Philippine government panel that’s been negotiating a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. It’s one of the toughest jobs in government. But last week, Iye’s team helped the country take an important step toward ending the war in the south. The final set of documents signed by both sides made official the comprehensive peace agreement the government and the MILF have been hammering out for months. Finally, peace may finally reign in a Muslim Mindanao, a region that many Filipinos have long associated with insurgency and violence. Of course, the Coronel sisters each face big challenges, perhaps the toughest of their careers. Let’s start with Sheila, whom I worked with when she was still head of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Journalism is still reeling from a painful transition in the US that has also forced US J-Schools to seek new directions. The Web dramatically changed the US and global media, opening up new ways to tell stories and reach broader audiences. Read More …
Jan 262014
Five Catholic bishops on Sunday visited former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at a government hospital in Quezon City, the latest among high-profile personalities to do so. The five led a Mass in Arroyo’s suite at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, radio dzBB’s Rowena Salvacion reported. The report said those who visited Arroyo were: – Archbishop Rolando Tirona (Nueva Caceres, Naga)– Archbishop Neri Odchimar (Tandag)– Bishop Emilio Marquez (Quezon)– Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan and Bishop Ramon Villena (Nueva Vizcaya). During the homily, the bishops said they wanted to “share love and compassion” to someone being allegedly harassed and persecuted, the report quoted Arroyo spokesman and defeated senatorial bet Raul Lambino as saying. Arroyo has been under hospital arrest at the VMMC since December 2011, on charges of electoral sabotage. She has since been charged as well with plunder, a non-bailable offense. Since the past weeks, the former leader has been visited by several high-profile personalities, including predecessor Joseph Estrada and former Vice President Noli de Castro, and former President Fidel V. Ramos. Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz was also among those who visited Arroyo much earlier. — LBG, GMA News