by Misael | May 8, 2008 | Headlines
The Philippines will be sending a 15-man medical mission to typhoon-hit Myanmar where some 22,000 people have died and some 41,000 others have gone missing in one of the worst natural disasters to hit the Asian continent.
According to Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Health (DOH) to send a medical contingent to the cyclone-ravaged old Burma.
Ermita said the DOH team has already sent an initial query with Myanmar’s government as to the type of medicines that are more needed to be brought (to Myanmar to alleviate the) catastrophe that they face.”
The Philippine medical team and medicine donation will be sent within 48 hours, said Ermita. (PIA/Bohol)
by Misael | May 8, 2008 | Headlines
A study recently confirmed that more Filipino youth now shun away from agriculture while choosing industrial or service courses.
Another study also shows that 67% of the country’s population is dependent on agricultural sector, while it shows that the country’s farmers are aged between 35-54.
The implications are unthinkable, said National Youth Commissioner Benjie Oliva, who now urged Congress and the Department of Agriculture to invest more on agricultural scholarships to draw more interest in the country’s agri-production program.
A study by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Sustainable Development Department showed the country’s dependence on agriculture with 67% of the total population either directly or indirectly dependent on it.
On the National statistics Office’s Agriculture Sector Review in the Visayas, it also showed that majority of the agricultural operators are between 35-54 years old.
Over this, Commissioner Oliva noted that instead of going to even the scales, younger generations opt for service related courses if not industrial courses further making the food scarcity threat a reality.
With this, “the strong agricultural performance of the country will deteriorate in the coming years and agricultural production will be left behind,” Oliva added.
Stressing the recent lack of interest in agriculture among our youth, Oliva also stressed that it is one factor affecting the rice supply crisis.
Statistics clearly shows that more Filipino youth nowadays prefer white-collar jobs than dirty works in the field, he added.
Himself an agriculturist, Oliva cited that the country does not only have a food crisis but crisis of farm workers as well.
“Food security is not only focused on producing agricultural products but sustaining the human resource cultivating the agricultural lands” he pointed out.
Over this, he bared that “the government should not limit its investment to infrastructure but to human resource particularly in the agriculture sector through scholarships grants.
“We need more agricultural scientist, technicians and workers to double the farmers harvest and sufficient food for the table for every Filipino”, he added.
As this developed, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has also called on large corporations in the country to provide for the rice requirements of their employees.
Via Executive Order (EO) 721, the President said corporations with at least 500 employees and with landholdings suitable for rice production shall be encouraged to engage in rice production.
Under EO 721, which PGMA signed May 2, large corporations are urged to engage in rice production and rice importation to meet the needs of their employees.
The President said that corporations without landholdings but who decide to engage in rice production may lease public agricultural lands, subject to mutual agreement with owners of idle agricultural properties.
Meanwhile, the EO also said that corporations intending to import rice for their employees should signify to the NFA their intention to do so, adding that such importation shall be governed by existing laws on the matter.
She said that all rice importations undertaken under EO 721 should be coursed through the NFA and “shall be eligible for fiscal privileges within the authority of the NFA to provide.”
However, NFA may charge reasonable fees for services rendered in connection with the rice importation, EO 721 said.
The President explained that nothing in EO 721 “shall prevent large corporations from entering into any agreement or other forms of combinations among themselves for the purpose of engaging in the production and/or importation of rice, whenever the circumstances shall warrant.” (rachiu/PIA)
by Misael | May 7, 2008 | National News
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo clarified that the government is not out to pin down the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) but is only after lower power rates especially for the poor, according to Albay Gov. Joey Salceda.
One of the President’s economic advisers, Salceda explained that the ”concern of the President is how to bring down the cost of power, especially for the poor amid the spiralling price of oil in the world market.”
He said the government must not only review the Independent Power Producers (IPP) contract of Meralco but must conduct a ”general review of all IPPs contract.”
”A review of the IPPs, I think, that’s the best policy,” Salceda added.
Earlier, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo batted for the reduction of power rates and called for support of her advocacy for the lowering of electricity charges. (PIA/Bohol)
by Misael | May 7, 2008 | Headlines
Almost all of the 25,349 establishments in the non-agricultural sector nationwide has provided compulsory social protection and benefits to its workers, like SSS, GSIS, PhilHealth and Pag-Ibig.
This was disclosed by Deparment of Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque in his report to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Roque’s report was based on the results of the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) Integrated Survey (BITS), on establishments across the country.
The survey demonstrates that the country’s establishments are keeping pace with the government’s mandates for the comprehensive social protection of workers, by taking efforts to comply with and pursue such relevant compensation schemes necessary for the welfare and well-being of the nation’s workforce, Roque said.
According to BLES, there was a total of 25,349 non-agricultural establishments and majority or 77.6% (19,660) were employing 20 to 99 workers, 11.7% (2,956) with 100 to 199 workers, and 10.8% (2,733) with 200 or more workers. BLES found that among the social security schemes, the granting of compulsory social protection such as SSS, GSIS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG ranked the highest with 97.5% for establishments with 20 to 99 workers, to 98.5% for those with 200 or more.
Other social security schemes provided by establishments to workers included separation/termination pay, retirement plan, medical/health insurance, and accident insurance. (PIA/Bohol)
by Misael | May 7, 2008 | Features
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration in protecting and promoting human rights nationwide is between seven and eight out of a perfect 10 score performance.
This was disclosed by former Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson Purificacion Quisumbing, when officially ended her constitutionally- mandated seven-year service to the agency.
“Human rights compliance covers civil, economic, cultural, political and other aspects and I think government did well in several of these,” she said
According to Quisumbing, the government moved up the human rights rating scale from a failed grade previously when it abolished the death penalty and passed the juvenile justice law.
She also lauded the Palace for creating the Melo Commission that looked into local killings and for allowing foreign monitoring of the Philippine human rights situation.
Both the armed forces and the police likewise boosted respective efforts to address extra-judicial executions in the country so that the number of such incidents dropped, she continued.
“The government is at least now more aware of the country’s human rights situation and I’m glad authorities are sensitive enough to do something about it,” she said.
Quisumbing, however clarified that her rating at this time can’t be higher as the government posted shortcomings in addressing the country’s human rights situation. She cited in particular the failure of Congress to pass laws aimed at preventing human rights violations. (PIA/Bohol)
