PIA Dispatch - Wednesday, March 18, 2009

PGMA urges volunteerism to mitigate the impact of global economic crisis

San Fernando City, Pampanga (PND) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today called on the private sector to join the government as volunteers in its efforts to cushion the impact of the global financial crisis.

The President made her call during a one-on-one interview with Fernando "Perry" Pangan, Pampanga Press Corp president and assistant vice president and general manager of Pampanga based radio DWRW-FM here.

"On the part of the government, belt-tightening ang kailangan. On the part of the people, volunteerism, " the President said.

"For instance, if the private sector could help organize or volunteer to organize our planned mega jobs fair during our celebration of our Independence, (then more of our less fortunate brothers and sisters would benefit from our program)," the President said.

The President pointed out that during the incoming summer months when all the students are on vacation, "we have to have some activity that will give them some income."

"So we can get them as volunteers (because) we want to have our young people help in (youth conservation core practices) which include caring for the environment, " the President said.

The President said possible job placements opportunities for the youth include joining OYSTER (out-of-school youth towards economic resiliency) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) employment programs that include maintenance of roads.

Other job opportunities are in garbage recycling and segregating as well as park and river cleaning, the President pointed out.

She said the government could also tap the media or private organizations to "organize these young people and maybe make them commit to serve the country for the next six months for a modest allowance while they’re looking for a job or planning to go into higher education."

"So we need help from the private sector to organize (all) these. We want a national volunteer service concentrating on the young, particularly those aged 18 to 24. We would need media, the business sector, the KIWANIS, the ROTARY to organize them and maybe to help out in the modest allowance," the President said.


Palace honors Francis M
 
Malacanang paid tribute today to the pioneer of Pinoy Rap, Francis Magalona.
 
For stroking nationalism through music, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo posthumously awarded the Master Rapper the Presidential Medal of Merit through his widow Pia and children.
 
The homage was made in the presence of Magalona’s closest colleagues in and out of show business.
 
Magalona, also known as Francis M, changed the local music landscape by fusing American rap with indigenous sound. His lyrics were laced with stinging commentaries on culture, politics and other social issues.
 
Apart from the presidential award, Francis M was recipient of the Generation Award of MTV Pilipinas Video Music Awards in 2006 and the 1st Visionary Awards in 2008.  
 
Francis M is not only a multi-awarded singer-songwriter and record producer: he is also a photographer. Last year, he served as one of the judges for in the “Isang Pitik sa Charity” (which roughly means a shot for charity) a nationwide photography contest for professionals and amateurs held by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Philippine Information Agency.
 

Francis M, pinarangalan ng Palasyo
 
Binigyang-parangal ng Malakanyang ang pasimuno ng Pinoy rap, si Francis Magalona.
 
Dahil sa kanyang kontribusyon sa pagpapasikat ng nasyunalismo sa pamamagitan ng kanyang musika, ginawaran ng Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ang master rapper ng Presidential Medal for Merit sa pamamagitan ng kanyang balong si Pia at walong anak.
 
Ang parangal ay ginawa sa harap ng mga kaibigan ni Magalona sa loob at labas ng showbiz.
 
Sa paghahalo ng American rap at ng mga katutubong tunog, nagkaroon ng kontribusyon si Magalona na mas kilala bilang Francis M, sa pagbabago ng lokal na musika. Ang kanyang titik ay nilapatan ng mga maanghang na kumentaryo sa kultura, pulitika at iba pang isyung panlipunan.


Government generated more jobs in January
 
More people got hired at the beginning the year as compared to those who lost their jobs.
 
Out of the 745,000 job seekers last January, Socio-economic Secretary Ralph Recto said around 565,000 were employed.
 
Recto said the Philippines is in a better shape as compared to the United States where more than half a million people became jobless brought about by the raging global recession.  
 
This is Recto’s response to the National Statistics Office report that the number of unemployed rose to 7.7 percent last January.
 
Government estimated that the total number of employed in the same month is around 34.2 million and majority of these workers can be found in the sectors of services and agriculture.
 
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment advised new graduates to jumpstart their careers with the job opportunities that come their way.
 
With the financial crunch felt all over world today, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said new graduates cannot be choosers.
 
He suggested that new job hunters should train their eyes on call centers and the government programs where there are a lot of openings.
 
DOLE reported that a total of 1,032 job fairs have been conducted from January to November last year and have solicited 1.34 million job vacancies.
 
According to Roque, job fairs are held to help employers find employees with appropriate skills and assist workers looking for employment at the same time.
 

Pamahalaan, mas maraming nalikhang trabaho noong Enero
 
Mas maraming nagkaroon ng trabaho kumpara sa mga taong nawalan ng trabaho noong sa pag-uumpisa ng taon.
 
Ayon kay Socio-economic Secretary Ralph Recto, mahigit sa 500,000 ang nagka-trabaho mula sa kabuuang 745,000 na naghahanap ng mapapasukan.
 
Sinabi ni Recto na mas maganda pa ang kalagayan ng Pilipinas kumpara sa Estados Unidos kung saan mahigit sa kalahating milyon ang nawalan ng trabaho bunga ng global recession na nagaganap ngayon.  
 
Ito ang reaksyon ni Recto sa ulat ng National Statistics Office na umakyat ng 7.7 porisyento ang bilang ng mga walang trabaho noong Enero.
 
Sa pagtaya ng pamahalaan, aabot sa 34.2 million ang may trabaho sa nasabing buwan at karamihan ng mga manggagawang ay matatagpuan sa mga sektor ng services at agrikultura.
 
Samantala, hinikayat ng Department of Labor and Employment ang mga bagong graduate simula ang kanilang mga karera sa pamamagitan ng mga oportunidad na kanilang masasalubong.
 
Ngayong laganap ang epekto ng global recession, sinabi ni Labor Secretary Marianito Roque na kailangan hindi pihikan ang mga bagong graduate sa ganitong panahon.
 
Ipinayo niya sa mga job hunter na subukan ang mga industriya tulad ng call center at maging ang mga programang ipinatutupad ng pamahalaan kung saan maraming manggagawa ang kailangan.
 
Iniulat ng DOLE na aabot sa kabuuang 1,032 ang bilang ng mga job fair na ginanap sa pagitain ng Enero at Nobyembre noong isang taon at mahigit sa 1.34 million bakanteng trabaho ang nairehistro rito.
 
Ayon kay Roque, ginaganap ang mga job fair para tulungan ang mga employer na mahanap ang mga employado na may sapat na kakayahan habang inaalalayan naman ang mga manggagawa na naghahanap ng trabaho. 


Recently laid off workers may now seek emergency loans at SSS
 
The Social Security System (SSS) will be working with the Employees Compensation Commission in extending emergency loans to its members who lost their jobs due to ongoing financial crunch.
 
“The Employees Compensation Fund has good cash flows and quite solid. They’re more than happy to assists us in the process,” a grateful SSS President Romulo Neri told reporters during a briefing at Malacanang Palace, “SSS will be managing these loans in their behalf.”
 
Neri recalled that SSS had problems accommodating loan applications for unemployed members after it exceeded the 10 percent legal limit on its salary and emergency loans. Because of that restriction, he said they had to suspend processing applications to protect the integrity of SSS funds.
 
To avail the emergency loans, borrowers should have the following qualifications: (1) must be separated or retrenched from employment from January 1, 2009 onwards; (2) must have paid at least 12 monthly contributions prior to the month of separation from employment; (3) must be in good standing—must have paid at least 6 contributions in the calendar year 2008 and/or updated loan amortizations as of December 31, 2008; (4) members who were not previously granted refund of contributions, retirement or total permanent disability benefits (5) members who are not been disqualified by the Social Security Commission as a result of filing fraudulent loans with the SSS.
 
“The amount of loan shall be based to the highest monthly salary credit for the past six months prior to the month of separation from employment but not to exceed Php15,000. For a one month loan, a member must have accumulated 12 monthly contributions. For two month loan, a member must have accumulated 24 monthly contributions prior to the month of separation from employment,” Neri said.
 
Members with approved applications shall pay their loans within three years with a year grace period following the date of the loan.
 
Loans shall be charged with a nominal interest of 10 percent per year: the first year interest will be deducted in advance on the proceeds of the loan. A one percent service fee will be charged. This means borrowers will receive loans with deductions.
 
Borrowers must submit their applications at the nearest SSS servicing branch together with certifications from their employers that they were laid off or retrenched from January 1, 2009 onwards.  
 
These certifications, Neri said, will be endorsed or validated by regional directors of the Department of Labor and Employment. 
 
 
Manggagawang nawalan ng trabaho ngayong taon, puwede nang masumite ng emergency loan SSS
 
Makikipagtulungan ang Social Security System (SSS) sa Employees Compensation Commission sa pagbibigay ng emergency loans sa kanilang mga miyembro ng nawalan ng trabaho bunga ng nangyayaring global recession.
 
“The Employees Compensation Fund has good cash flows and quite solid. They’re more than happy to assists us in the process (Matatag ang Employees Compensation Fund at handa silang tumulong sa amin),” sinabi ni SSS President Romulo Neri sa media sa isang briefing session sa Malakanyang, “SSS will be managing these loans in their behalf (ang SSS ang mangangasiwa ng mga pautang.”
 
Sinariwa ni Neri ang mga problema ng SSS kung bakit hindi maproseso ang mga loan application ng kanilang mga miyembro na nawalan ng trabaho. Dahil nalagpasan nila ang kanilang sampung porsiyentong limitasyon na itinakda ng batas para sa kanilang salary loan at emergency loan, kailangan nilang itigil ang pagproseso para mapangalagaan ang pondo ng SSS.
 
Para makakuha ng loan, lahat ng manghihiram na miyembro ay kailangan makapasa sa mga sumusunod na kwalipikasyon: (1) kailangan nawalay or naalis sa trabaho mula pa ika-1 ng Enero 2009; (2) kailangan nakapagbayad ng labing dalawang monthly contributions bago ang buwan ng pagkakawalay o pagkakaalis sa trabaho; (3) kailangan ng mayroon silang magandang katayuan sa SSS—kailangang nakapagbayad ng anim na kontribusyon sa 2008 at/o updated ang kanilang mga loan amortization nitong ika-31 ng Disyembre 2008; (4) hindi nakakuha ng refund ng kontribusyon, retirement or total permanent disability benefits (5) mga miyembro na hindi na-disqualified ng Social Security Commission.
 
“The amount of loan shall be based to the highest monthly salary credit for the past six months prior to the month of separation from employment but not to exceed Php15,000. For a one month loan, a member must have accumulated 12 monthly contributions. For two month loan, a member must have accumulated 24 monthly contributions prior to the month of separation from employment (ang halaga ng loan ay ibabatay sa pinakamataas na monthly salary credit sa nakaraang anim na buwan bago ang buwan ng pagkakawalay sa trabaho ngunit hindi hihigit sa Php15,000. Para sa isang buwang loan, kailangan nakapagbayad ang miyembro ng labing dalawang buwanang kontribusyon. Para naman sa dalawang buwang loan, kailangan nakaipon ang miyembro ng dalawamput apat na buwanang kontribusyon bago ang buwan ng pagkakawalay sa kanyang trabaho),”sabi ni Neri.
 
Ang mga miyembro na may naaprubahang aplikasyon ng loan ay magbabayad ng kanilang obligasyon sa loob ng tatlong taon na may grace period na isang taon makaraan ang petsa ng loan.
 
Papatawan ang mga loan ng sampung porsiyentong interes kada taon: ang unang taon ay ibabawas agad sa loan. Bukod dito, may isang porsiyento service fee ang ipapataw sa loan. Ibig sabihin, may deduction na o may kabawasan na ang tatanggapin loan ng isang kwalipikadong miyembro.
 
Maaring maisumite ng mga kwalipikadong miyembro ang kanilang aplikasyons sa pinakamalapit na SSS servicing branch.
 
Kasama sa isusumite ay ang sertipikasyon mula sa kanilang mga employer bilang katibayan na sila ay nalay-off o na-retrench mula pa noong ika-1 ng Enero 2009.  
 
Ang mga sertipikasyong ito, ayon kay Neri, ay iinindorso o kukumpirmahin ng mga regional director ng Department of Labor and Employment.


PGMA instructs govt agencies to provide dislocation allowance for personnel affected by office transfers

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instructed government agencies to provide dislocation allowance for all personnel affected by the transfer of departments and regional government centers to new relocation sites.

The President issued the order during a Cabinet meeting two weeks ago in Boracay, according to Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello.

"In the course of the discussions during the March 3 Cabinet meeting at the Boracay Terraces Convention Center in Boracay, Malay, Aklan, all concerned government departments/ agencies/ institutions were instructed (by the President) to provide dislocation allowance for all personnel affected by the transfer of their departments/ regional government centers to new relocation sites," said Bello.

He added, "It was noted that that the departments/ agencies may realign their budget for Maintenance and other Operating Expenses (MOOE) and Personnel Services for this purpose."

In his memorandum on the same day to the members of the Cabinet, Bello said "It was also noted that some departments – such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – did not include dislocation allowance for affected personnel in the Fiscal Year 2009 budget."

The secretary of the Cabinet requested the Cabinet members to "please submit status report of its implementation within two weeks, for purposes of monitoring and reporting to the President on the implementation of this instruction" to provide dislocation allowances to transfer-affected government personnel. (PND)