BSP, PDIC incentive package to boost coop banking sector

THE National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) welcomed Sunday the recent signing of an incentive package to boost the cooperative banking system.

Coop-NATCCO sectoral lawmakers Jose Ping-ay and Cresente Paez said “the cooperative movement achieved another milestone” with the official launch of the special program intended for the cooperative banking sector dubbed “Strengthening Program for Cooperative Banks (SPCB).”

Labor management councils urged to support productivity, competitiveness

LABOR and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz challenged labor management councils/committees (LMCs) “not only to be advocates of industrial peace and stable labor management relations but also as champions of productivity improvement in workplaces in enterprises and industries.”

Probe on OFW ‘blood-for-money’ practice sought

ILONGGA Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago is pushing for an investigation on the reported selling of blood of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia just to earn extra income, which is being sent as remittances to their families here.

“This deplorable incident should not be allowed to prevail; even if donating blood is a noble and humanitarian act, it is lamentable that some OFWs are forced to resort to this blood- for-money activity,” she said in proposed Resolution 625 furnished Sun.Star over the weekend.

ERC defers retail power market competition in Visayas, Luzon

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has deferred the implementation of the open access and retail competition in Luzon and Visayas that was originally set on December 26, 2011.

Jatropha’s biofuel viability should have been pilot-tested - DOST

THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said a successful pilot testing of jatropha’s viability as an alternative fuel source should have been conducted before going into large-scale production.

The statement was issued following news reports quoting Department of Energy Secretary Rene Almendras as saying, “The past administration wasted money and resources in planting thousands of hectares of land with jatropha to produce raw materials for bio-fuels.”

Lawmaker urges ILO endorsement of convention for domestic workers

CAGAYAN Representative Jack Enrile is urging the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) to speed up its endorsement of an international treaty promoting the protection of domestic workers.

“Dole's issuance of an endorsement of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 189 will start the ball rolling for the agreement's ratification by the Senate. This will boost efforts to improve the working and living conditions of kasambahays,” he added.

1 in 20 children aged 5 to 17 working: NSO

THE National Statistics Office (NSO) said Friday that six percent of the estimated 29 million children five to 17 years old are working.

Citing results of the 2010 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (Apis) released Friday, NSO Administrator Carmelita Ericta said “nine in 10 or 91 percent of the working children 5 to 11 years old and five in 10 or 52 percent of those aged 12 to 17 are unpaid family members in own family-operated farm or business.”

Bus drivers, conductors to get fixed salaries

BUS drivers and conductors will be receiving a part-fixed, part-performance-based compensation following the signing of a joint statement between bus operators, drivers and concerned government this week.

The National Wages and Productivity Commission said the joint statement seeks to address the increasing road accidents and traffic violations by improving the compensation and working condition of the drivers and conductors.

MOA on incentive program for cooperative banks signed

A MEMORANDUM of agreement (MOA) to strengthen the program for cooperative banks (SPCB) was signed the other day to formally launch the incentive scheme designed to support the development of a stronger cooperative banking sector.

The MOA was signed between and among the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Land Bank of the Philippines.

PhilRice marks 26th year as lead agency in rice science, development

THE Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) was hailed for effectively carrying out its role as the government’s lead agency in rice science and development.

During PhilRice’s 26th anniversary celebration this week, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala noted, “PhilRice had steadily supported the government in helping the country achieve its goals in food security and sustainable rural development. You’re dedicated and efficient in serving the public. To me, you’re not simply employees. You’re heroes.”

Salary adjustment for office, factory workers proposed

A SECTORAL lawmaker has filed a proposal that seeks to increase the salaries of employees in offices and factories and to upgrade their working conditions.

ALE party-list Representative Catalina Cabrera Bagasina, in House Bill 5324, said her proposal seeks to hike the workers overtime, premium and holiday pays as well as maternity leave benefits.

Recruitment agencies back ILO decent work convention

LOCAL and overseas recruitment industries yesterday expressed support for the immediate ratification of the Internal Labor Organization’s (ILO) convention on decent work for domestic workers or C 189.

They added they are “one with the government in pushing efforts to uplift the conditions and ensure decent work for kasambahays or domestic workers.”

Ban on use of plastic bags in all retail stores pushed

ILONGGA Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago is pushing for a ban on the use of plastic bags regardless of composition in all retail establishments and providing penalties for violations.

Citing reports from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the senator said more than 80 percent of wastes collected from shorelines are made from non-biodegradable materials such as plastic and rubber while about half of plastic items collected from oceans were plastic bags.

PhilHealth deducts 2% expanded withholding tax

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation has started withholding the two percent expanded withholding tax (EWT) in the payment for medical services rendered by accredited institutional health care providers.

PhilHealth president and CEO Dr. Eduardo Banzon, in Advisory 11-02-2011, said the deduction was applied starting November 1, 2011 to all claims in process for voucher preparation.

No increase in PhilHealth premium contributions yet

THE Philippine Health (PhilHealth) Insurance Corporation has assured members that in the next eight months, PhilHealth will enhance both inpatient and outpatient benefits without any increase in premium.

Public urged to be vigilant in buying Christmas lights

AS THE Christmas season approaches, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is once again urging the public to be vigilant, especially when buying Christmas lights.

“Consumers should check the product’s import commodity clearance (ICC) mark which is a proof that the Christmas light complies with standards and is safe to use,” the DTI said in its advisory furnished Sun.Star Sunday.

Small-scale irrigation summit set

THE Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) will spearhead a summit aimed at reviving interest in small water impounding projects and small diversion dams to support the agency’s irrigation thrusts. D ubbed the “Small Water Impounding System Associations (Swisas) Summit,” the event set November 24-25, 2011, will involve the implementation of small water impounding system (Swips) and small diversion dams (SDDs) projects of the government.

Western Visayas banks post P148-B total deposits: PDIC

BANKS in Western Visayas accounted for P148-billion of the total outstanding deposits of P5.2 trillion as of the first semester of 2011 as per the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation.

The entire banking system’s total deposits of P5.2 trillion were maintained in 37.6 million accounts or an average size of P136,904 per deposit account. “Highly urbanized NCR had an average of P216,829 per account. Outside the NCR, Region 7 or Central Visayas had the highest average among other regions with P120,425 per account,” PDIC said in its factsheet over the weekend.

Dole taps Facebook to raise support for domestic workers

THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) has turned to the largest social networking site Facebook to raise public awareness and support for the ratification of the International Labor Organization (ILo) Convention 189 and the Kasambahay bill passage.

Dole’s Labor and Communications Office has opened a site called I Support Kasambahay on Facebook to provide online ‘netizens’ a venue to find out what ILO Convention 189 and the Kasambahay bill are all about and to express their views and comments on these two landmark documents.

Probe into coco fee collection eyed

THE House Committee on Ways and Means will conduct an investigation on the basis of the 6-centavo fee reportedly being collected by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) on coconut products and by-products.

The 6-centavo PCA fee is reportedly assessed and collected on purchases and deliveries of copra or husk nuts or fresh coconut, matured nuts which are being bought by oil millers, exporters and other end-users. It is collected from the processors and manufacturers of coconut products.

P2B allotted for farm, fisheries rehab

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it allotted an additional P2.96 billion to accelerate agricultural infrastructure and support, especially after the recent typhoons.

The fund also aims to support agricultural development to ensure food self-sufficiency, help farming families achieve sustainable livelihood and is part of the P72-billion disbursements acceleration plan of the Aquino administration to accelerate spending and push economic growth for 2011.

Inflation reaches 5.2%

INCREASES in the prices of food, utilities and fuel pushed inflation rate to 5.2 percent in October 2011, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said.

“The 5.2 percent headline inflation last month was due to higher annual gains in food and non-alcoholic beverages (5.7% in October 2011 from 5% in September 2011); alcoholic beverages and tobacco (6.2% from 6.1%); housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuel indices (6.5% from 5.7%),” it said.

SSS to implement another loan condonation program

THE Social Security System (SSS) said it will implement another round of amnesty for unpaid short-term loans.

Probe on overpricing of petroleum products in fishing industry pushed

A SECTORAL lawmaker is pushing for a Congressional inquiry on the reported unabated increases in the price of petroleum products and their impact on small fishermen and the whole fishing industry.

Anakpawis party-list Representative Rafael Mariano, in House Resolution 1779, said an investigation should be done to determine why oil companies have overpriced the cost of petroleum products by P9 per liter since 2010.

P192M allotted for community seeds banks

THE Department of Agriculture has launched a P192-million community seed bank (CSB) and seed production program to enable farmers to produce their requirements of certified seeds every cropping season.

Of the total program fund, P42 million is allotted this year for the procurement and distribution of registered rice seeds while the P150M is programmed next year for the establishment of CSBs in strategic rice production areas, including Western Visayas.

Military pensioners urged to continue PhilHealth coverage

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is urging pensioners of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to continue their health insurance coverage.

This as the operational guidelines was signed recently between PhilHealth and the AFP which established a mechanism that will allow pensioners to continue their premium contributions. The focus is on former AFP personnel who retired from service before the mandatory age or those optional retirees and who are not yet 56 years old.

2 Negros MSMEs win national 2011 Productivity Olympics

THE Escalante Public and Private School Teachers and Employees Multi-purpose Cooperative (EPSTEMPCO) is this year’s winner in the medium service category of the National Wages Productivity Commission’s (NWPC) Productivity Olympics.

P237-million mangrove, fish hatchery program launched

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has launched a P237.5-million program to develop new mangrove areas, establish aquasilvi or mangrove fish farms and put up multi-species hatcheries in coastal communities.

Transpo department eyes ‘younger’ PUVs

THE Department of Transportation and Communications is pushing for “younger” fleets of public utility jeepneys, taxis and buses.

The proposal is part of the DOTC’s P565-billion five-year transport infra plan recently unveiled by Secretary Mar Roxas aimed at providing reliable, safe and affordable public transportation system nationwide.

Financial assistance to OFWs proposed

GABRIELA party-list Representatives Luzviminda Ilagan and Emmi De Jesus are pushing for the passage of a law that would provide financial assistance to distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The proposal, as contained in House Bill 5331, was made following observations that “the laws are silent on the specific welfare services and benefits aside from repatriation in cases of natural and man-made calamities in host countries.”