GSIS bares 2012 programs
THE Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) said Friday that in the next six months, GSIS will focus on five programs in its effort “to be more consultative, transparent and member-focused.”
DOT: Tourism outlook strong
THE Department of Tourism said Friday the country remains an ideal destination with foreign individuals and groups continuing to arrive.
“So far, no cancellations have been made. The series of travel advisories on specific and isolated areas did not deter tourists from visiting the country,” DOT stressed.
The DOT said in reaction to speculations of decreased visits due to the recent United Kingdom (UK) travel advisory on limited areas in the south, following the kidnapping of two European tourists in Tawi-Tawi last February 1.
Fake advertising to be penalized
BUHAY party-list lawmakers Mariano Michael Velarde Jr. and Irwin Tieng have filed House Bill 5674, seeking to penalize false or fraudulent advertising.
“The public is beset with advertisements of food products claiming the same to be nutritious despite the public knowledge of them containing a whole gamut of preservatives. There is also widespread marketing of various cosmetic products that promise instant beauty within a specific time frame,” Tieng explained.
Reserve requirement cut
THE Monetary Board decided this week to cut the banks’ reserve requirement ratio by three percentage points, from the current 21 percent, starting in April.
This is expected to help banks cope with changes in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s (BSP) reserve requirement policy, without having to increase deposit or lending rates and service fees.
Rebranded insurance firm targets P60M growth in Cebu market alone
A NON-LIFE insurance company, the Philippine Charter Insurance Corp., has embarked on a rebranding campaign as part of its strategy to capture the growing Chinese market.
In an interview, Melecio Mallillin, president of Charter Ping An (formerly Philippine Charter Insurance Corp.) said the rebranding is also part of their strategy to meet the demands of globalization.
Batuhan: Major hurt
A LOT of big things appear to be in store for us in 2012. It is, after all, The Year of the Dragon, and this is always known to be a period of major change.
For starters, the world is supposed to end this year. That is, if the Mayan calendar is to be believed. In fact, major catastrophes have been predicted to happen soon, as depicted in the movie of the same title.
Almirante: Right to counsel
Dominador Almirante Labor case digest
IN A complaint for illegal dismissal and money claims filed by petitioners against respondent De Guia Enterprises, Inc., the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) dismissed the appeal of petitioners for failure to append a certificate of non-forum shopping and proof of service upon the other party.
Local firm offers LGUs tax system
WITH a dream of making all local government units (LGUs) well-managed, a software development company aided by foreign grants hopes to provide an efficient system to LGUs for free.
Ramses Systems Inc., which is based in Cebu, has been offering its enhanced tax revenue assessment and collection system (Etracs) to LGUs since 2007.
POEA announces exam for work in Korea
INTERESTED applicants for employment in Korea are required to take the Test of Proficiency in Korean, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Advisory number 3, series of 2012 signed by POEA officer-in-charge Viveca Codamon-Catalig.
Canada's growing import market offers opportunities
MANILA -- Filipino exporters can further take advantage of trade opportunities offered by the Canadian market, the world's second largest country with more than 34 million population.
A market update released by the Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada indicated that the Philippines only ranked eighth among the 16 TFO client countries that were successful in increasing exports to Canada despite the global economic crisis.
Philippine exports to Canada reached $888 million between 2009 and 2010. It followed Peru, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore.
Rural Bank Gigaquit placed under PDIC receivership
THE Monetary Board (MB) placed the Rural Bank of Gigaquit (Surigao del Norte) Inc. under receivership of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) by virtue of MB Resolution 160 dated February 2, 2012.
As receiver, PDIC took over the bank on February 3, 2012.
Nokia Philippines welcomes new general manager
NOKIA recently announced the appointment of Dharmesh Goshalia as general manager of its Philippine offices. Goshalia will also handle the position of head of Sales at the company.
As the new general manager of Nokia Philippines, Goshalia, or Gosh to colleagues, brings with him formidable experience in business development, management and marketing across retail distribution and operator business from diverse markets.
Farmers urged to advance rice cropping calendar
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is encouraging rice farmers to advance their “cropping calendar” by a month or two to avoid typhoons that usually occur during the months of October to November.
Labor department strengthens family welfare
THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) will further strengthen its family welfare program (FWP) even if more and more industries already adopted FWP as “a viable investment that pays off in terms of increased productivity and harmonious and cooperative labor-management relations.”
As per data from the Dole's Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (Bles), around 55.9 percent or 13,284 of 23,723 business establishments employing 20 or more workers are already providing child and family care.
Product traceability system to be set up this year
THE Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Agriculture (DA) are designing a product traceability system to meet international standards and secure the country’s share in the global market for agro-industrial products.
A three-year joint project dubbed Program on Philippine Traceability for Revitalized Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement (P-Trace) was already discussed among concerned government agencies for possible foreign funding assistance, DTI said Thursday.
Microsoft Philippines launches expansion program
MICROSOFT Philippines launched Wednesday its Geo Expansion Program (GEP) in Davao City that will give businesses not only in the metropolis but in the entire Davao Region the opportunity to utilize the best Microsoft technology innovations.
IBM pushes ‘smarter computing’ among clients
AS they focus the year on retail and distribution, IBM Philippines hopes to introduce the concept of “smarter computing” for local clients.
Smarter computing, according to IBM, is an approach to information technology that aids organizations in realizing greater efficiencies, improved reliability and better performance at lower costs.
Cathay to change to new reservation system
CATHAY Pacific Airways will change over to a new passenger reservations system on the weekend of Feb. 11 and 12. The new technology will replace an in-house system introduced in the 1980s. The change will ensure Cathay Pacific can continue to meet passengers’ needs in the future, the company said in a press statement.
Ng: Education and juvenile delinquency
LAST week, I attended Diwa’s Teachers’ Congress. Diwa is a leading publisher of educational materials and the company updated the schools on their new offerings, in particular their computer-aided learning and management system.
I.Protect: Romeo & Juliet
Clint Fabiosa & Ana Liza Villamor
COPYRIGHTt covers original intellectual creations in the literary and artistic domain.
Copyright protects the manner in which ideas are expressed, not the ideas themselves.
Councilor supports move to open oil firms’ books
A CAGAYAN de Oro lawmaker backed Thursday move by the Energy department to require oil companies to open their books of accounts to verify reports of unfair pricing and review the movement of oil prices.
PIA partners with Globe for SMS broadcast facility
THE Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the official information arm of the government, partners with Globe Telecom for a Short Message Service (SMS) broadcast facility that aims to use text messaging as a faster means to disseminate relevant advisories, news and updates nationwide.
“The use of text messaging as a tool for keeping our citizenry informed and aware is timely, given that cellphones are now the most pervasive form of communication,” said lawyer Jose A. Fabia, PIA director general.
P100M allotted for ‘sagip saka’
AROUND P100-million in priority development assistance funding was allotted to implement ‘sagip saka’ initially in 24 beneficiary agricultural communities, including the sugar farmers of Negros Occidental and in Victorias City.
‘Sagip saka’ is an advocacy to achieve sustainable modern agriculture and food security “by transforming agricultural communities to reach their full potential, improving farmers' and fishers' quality of life, and bridging gaps through public-private partnerships.”
New services to complement IT-BPO
INFORMATION Technology-Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) leaders seek to further develop four more offshoring and outsourcing services to complement the ‘sunshine industry’.
These include the healthcare information management outsourcing; finance and accounting outsourcing; human resource outsourcing; and animation and game development.
‘No report, no fund release’ rule in 2012
THE Department of Budget and Management will strictly implement a ‘no report, no release’ policy this year as one way to strengthen the campaign on transparency and accountability.
“DBM is very firm in enforcing the ‘no report, no release’ rule for the submission of budget accountability reports (BARs). Agencies and departments that do not comply with this will not receive their releases from the miscellaneous personnel benefits fund (MPBF),” said DBM Secretary Florencio Abad.
