US embassy in Manila closed for the holidays

 News
Dec 222015
 
US embassy in Manila closed for the holidays

Philippine Daily Inquirer By: Niña P. Calleja, December 23rd, 2015 10:58 AM The Embassy of the United States in Manila and its affiliated offices will be closed to the public in observance of the Yuletide holidays. In an announcement, the US Embassy said its offices will be closed on Thursday, December 24, in observance of a special non-working holiday, and on Friday, December 25, in observance of Christmas Day. READ: LOOK: Malacañang declares 2016 holidaysThe embassy will also be closed on Wednesday, December 30, in observance of Rizal Day, a Philippine holiday, as well as on Thursday, December 31, the last day of the year, a special non-working day. It is also closed on Thursday, January 1, 2015, the first day of the new year. The US Embassy will resume their regular services on Monday, January 4, 2015. CDG Latest PSE asked to clarify PDS deal by Jan.26 US embassy in Manila closed for the holidays Vista Land buys initial 79% of Starmalls Greek Parliament legalizes same-sex civil partnerships Recommended Disclaimer: Comments do not represent the views of INQUIRER.net. We reserve the right to exclude comments which are inconsistent with our editorial standards. FULL DISCLAIMER For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.

Never Make a Decision When You’re Emotional

 News
Dec 222015
 
Never Make a Decision When You’re Emotional

Chinkee Tan Have you ever made a decision that you now regret making, and perhaps you are now reaping the consequences of it? Did you make that decision when you were in the midst of depression, anger, fear or envy? Was this decision made out of the pull of your emotions? “I am so mad at you right now. I hate you. I don’t want this marriage anymore!” “I am so fed up with all the workload. I give up. I’m really going to resign!” “I’m better off leaving, anyway no one appreciates my efforts around here!” “Argh! I can’t wait for the go signal of Boss! He’s so slow! I’m just gonna go ahead with the project.” We are created as emotional beings, so we cannot avoid the different emotional responses that arise in us especially with all the external sources that surround us. It is but normal to get angry, to be annoyed or to feel sad. It only becomes dangerous when we make decisions, especially major ones, when we are in the midst of or at the peak of experiencing these EMOTIONS. More often than not, the decisions we make at this point are the wrong ones and we end up deeply regretting it. Why should we NOT make a decision when we are in an emotional state? 90% OF THE DECISION IS GOING TO BE WRONG As I have mentioned earlier, since you are in a very emotional state at that moment, your ability to think Read More …

Translation firm must pay $1.47M to 2,400 underpaid workers

 News
Dec 222015
 
Translation firm must pay $1.47M to 2,400 underpaid workers

INQUIRER.net U.S. Bureau December 23rd, 2015 01:19 AM SAN JOSE, California – A translation and interpretation firm that provided services to the federal government and other clients violated federal labor laws and underpaid its nationwide corps of interpreters by $1.47 million in wages and benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. A Wage and Hour Division investigation found that Monterey-based Language Line LLC failed to calculate properly overtime payments due to employees working beyond 40 hours in a workweek, a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. As a result, the division ordered the firm to pay more than $500,000 in back wages and damages to 635 employees. The division also initiated a separate investigation to determine whether Language Line paid its translators required prevailing wages and benefits when working on federal contracts covered by the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act. When the division determined that Language Line did not comply with the law, the division directed Language Line to review its federal contracts for compliance with SCA prevailing wage and fringe benefit requirements. After review, 2,428 translators nationwide will receive nearly $970,000 in back wages and benefits. “Contractors that do business with the federal government must abide by the law, pay their employees the required contractual rates and benefits, and keep accurate and complete payroll records,” said Susana Blanco, director of the Wage and Hour Division in San Francisco. “The Service Contract Act provides protections not only to workers, but also to employers who depend on the department to Read More …

Los Angeles Fil-Am musician-teacher receives prestigious award

 General
Dec 222015
 
Los Angeles Fil-Am musician-teacher receives prestigious award

INQUIRER.net U.S. Bureau By: Cecile Ochoa, December 23rd, 2015 01:16 AM Los Angeles musician-teacher Asuncion Ojeda received the prestigious “Shining Star” award. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS LOS ANGELES, California — Christmas came early this year for Los Angeles Unified School District teacher Asuncion Ojeda as she received December 6 the “2015 Shining Star” award from the non-profit Education Through Music – Los Angeles (ETM-LA) at the iconic Skirball Cultural Center in this city. The only other recipient this year of the prestigious award was Grammy winner and music executive Randy Spendlove, president of Motion Picture Music at Paramount Studios. Spendlove has worked with popular artists including Beyonce, Linkin Park, Green Day and U2. ETM-LA presents these awards every year to people who have had an impact on people’s lives through music. Asuncion Ojeda in performance with her flute. “This is a nonprofit organization that works to put quality music education in disadvantaged schools,” according to Ojeda, who also received recognition from LA Mayor Eric Garcetti. Ojeda has been teaching music in LA public schools for more than 14 years. She currently teaches in three schools: Normandie Avenue, Holmes Ave and Bushnell Way. ETM-LA brings children, families and artists together to make music through school concerts and community events. The group sends excellent music teachers to share their talents with school children, who otherwise would not have the money and chance to learn from the “masters.” Ojeda said, “To me, the award is an affirmation of the work that I have been doing—teaching Read More …

Florentino P. Feliciano, legal scholar, lawyer, jurist exemplar, and great Filipino

 General
Dec 222015
 
Florentino P. Feliciano, legal scholar, lawyer, jurist exemplar, and great Filipino

Few Filipinos can match the stature and quality of Florentino P. Feliciano’s accomplishments in one brilliant career. Several distinguished lifetimes could have fitted to produce his many achievements. In his own country, he excelled among the best. In the international sphere, he was considered a major figure. Man of many outstanding achievements. Justice Feliciano, who died last week at 87 years, was at work on important issues even as he approached the illness that cut him down. His former firm, SyCip Salazar Hernandez and Gatmaitan, summed up his achievements succinctly in the press announcement cum obituary last week. (I quote these below, adding only paragraph breaks.) “Justice Feliciano was a partner of the firm from 1962 to 1986, when he withdrew from SyCipLaw to serve as an associate justice of the Philippine Supreme Court. He was the firm’s managing partner at that time. “As a Supreme Court justice, he decided numerous cases involving significant commercial law and tax law issues. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 “He served on the Highest Tribunal until 1995 when he retired early to accept an appointment as one of the first seven members of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization. He served on this body with distinction from 1995 to 2001, the last year of which he was chairman. “He then rejoined SyCipLaw as senior counsel. In 2003, he chaired the Fact Finding Commission created by Administrative Order No. 78 (2003) on the military rebellion of July 2003. He Read More …

Government debt ratio improves in Q3

 Economy
Dec 222015
 
Government debt ratio improves in Q3

In a statement yesterday, the Department of Finance said the general government debt accounted for 36.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) as of September. Philstar.com/File MANILA, Philippines – The broadest measure of the government’s debt standing inched up in the third quarter from the previous three months, but remained down from last year. In a statement yesterday, the Department of Finance said the general government debt accounted for 36.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) as of September. The figure was up slightly from 36.2 percent as of end-June, but was still an improvement from 37.2 percent in the same period a year ago. General government debt is a wide measure of debt levels across the bureaucracy, including that of the National Government, local governments, and social security institutions such as the Social Security System and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. A lower ratio indicates the government is generating more resources than debts, giving it more payment capacity. GDP is the sum of all goods and services gauging economic output. Based on DOF figures, the decrease in the ratio could be traced from faster economic growth than debt accumulation in the first nine months. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 In absolute amounts, general government debt rose 5.1 percent to P4.8 trillion from P4.6 trillion last year. GDP grew a faster 5.8 percent during the period. “Keeping this ratio down is part and parcel of our commitment to keeping the Philippines resilient. We can expect the downtrend Read More …

Napocor boosts Burias power supply

 Economy
Dec 222015
 
Napocor boosts Burias power supply

Napocor is expected to distribute 62 more gensets in various SPUG power plants in the country. Currently, it services around 800,000 households through its 290 spug plants. Philstar.com/File MANILA, Philippines – The National Power Corp. (Napocor) has increased the operating hours of its Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) plant in San Pascual, Masbate after it delivered last Dec. 11 an additional 300-kW generating set. “With this improvement we can now extend the service hours of the Burias Island Diesel Power Plant (DPP) from eight hours to 12 hours, benefiting at least 1,857 households. In 2016, the power plant may further extend to 16 hours of operating hours,” Napocor said. Napocor president Ma. Gladys Cruz-Sta. Rita personally led the switching on of the genset and shared among the residents there Napocor’s intensified programs in electrifying the farthest island in the country. With the new genset, power services in the said municipality can now be enjoyed from 8 am in the morning until 12 midnight, enabling students to use computer in schools. It will also promote tourism and will help boost the local economy as the people in the island are now more optimistic with longer power hours. Sta. Rita, has likewise committed to electrify nine more barangays in the town. Napocor is expected to distribute 62 more gensets in various SPUG power plants in the country. Currently, it services around 800,000 households through its 290 spug plants.

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