President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo wanted to bring in more employers from the United Arab Emirates to the Philippines.
“There’s more from where I come from,” the President told Filipino media in a press conference held Monday at the Atlantis the Palm Jumeira Hotel, referring to a host of skilled and professional workers living in the country that UAE employers could take advantage of.
“One of biggest competitive advantages of the Philippines is the resiliency during the world economic crisis,” she said, “I hope the UAE business community will find the Philippines a very good and safe investment in their quest to diversify.”
The President also mentioned how the country achieved a 6 percent growth last year at the height of global recession as well significant improvements in the areas of medical tourism and in the hotel and restaurant industries.
Government, the President said, is investing heavily in infrastructure such as roads, bridges and ports.
Another example that the President cited is the Business Process Outsourcing sector which grew from 4,000 to 400,000 when she took over the reins of government.
Currently the Philippine government is promoting the 10 proposals it made to the Abu Dhabi investment council the last time the President visited the area.
The government is also looking forward to the plans of a Kuwaiti telecommunication firm which is interested in putting up business in the Philippines.
RP to hold more job summits overseas
After the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines is eying East Asia for its next job summit.
President Gloria Macapagal wanted to have an employers’ forum in East Asia similar to the one recently concluded in Dubai.
The job summit aims to expand opportunities for laid off Overseas Filipinos Workers who were affected by the global recession.
During the Middle East Forum at the Renaissance Dubai Hotel, the President thanked employers group, manpower providers and officials of Gulf cooperating countries for helping the Philippine government find employment and business opportunities in the region.
Around 222,000 job openings have been identified which include demands for services of engineers, accountants, sales personnel, clerical and sales services, agriculture workers, and production process workers.
The hotel, restaurant, tourism and hospitality industries, likewise, have other opportunities as well for Filipinos.
In UAE alone, there are 39,128 job orders.
These employment opportunities, which DOLE will post on its website, can be found in Saudi Arabia, (107,525); Kuwait, (39,169); Libya and Algeria, (21,527); Oman, (11,356); and Bahrain, (3,446).
Although the openings are not exclusive for Filipinos, most employers and manning companies preferred Filipino workers over other nationalities.
Government, through TESDA, is offering training and scholarships to help OFWs qualify in the job openings.
In her recent dialogue with Dubai-based Filipino media in Atlantis the Palm Jumeira Hotel, the President instructed Labor Secretary Marianito Roque to assist OFWs who were sent home directly by the employers.
These workers were unable to secure certificates of unemployment from DOLE, an important requirement in applying for assistance in the Philippine Overseas Support Fund.
The President assured that government spends “no day without thinking of the welfare of OFWs”.
Airforce team starts investigation on 412 chopper crash
However, the investigating team was tight-lipped on the initial findings of the investigating team.
Zamudio explained that giving out bits of information to the public will only cause confusion.
Moody’s positive outlook will keep investors in high spirits
In an interview with Radyo ng Bayan, Astro del Castillo of Association of Security Analysts of the Philippines (ASAP) said the credit rating organization’s appreciation of the country’s sound financial fundamentals would boost investor confidence.
Castillo said the positive rating reflects confidence on the ability of the country to fulfill its obligations and on its capacity to spend as well.
Moody’s Investor Service maintained its positive outlook on the Philippines for keeping a strong position its external payments despite the global recession.
Moody’s attributed this strength to a good inflow of OFW remittances, a flexible exchange rate policy and a strong domestic financial system.
Meanwhile, Malacanang “felt wonderful and flattered “with the positive rating the country received from Moody’s
“This is a resounding praise for the President’s policies…we still have the confidence of the international community,” said Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo,” the rating shall serve as inspiration (to government) to work even harder.”
PSE top performer index in Southeast Asia for Q1 of 2009
The 30-company PSE, the main index barometer of overall stock market performance, gained 6.05 percent during the first quarter, outperforming most of Southeast Asia's exchanges from the January to March period, data from its research group showed.
In March alone, the PSE closed higher by 6.09 percent, its biggest month-on-month gain in almost a year-and-a-half.
"We are not spared from the wrath of the contagion, yet our strong fundamentals have kept our heads above-water where others have sunk in the recession whirlpool," PSE president and chief executive officer Francis Lim said.
The Kuala Lumpur Composite index slipped 0.48 percent while the Straits Times Index of Singapore fell 3.5 percent during the period.
“We understand the volatility of the markets during these times and how things can turn around if we choose to slacken on the reform measures and advocacies we are undertaking to push the stock market forward,” Lim further stated.
The domestic market capitalization of listed companies in March reached P2.66 trillion, the highest end of the month level since October 2008’s P2.61 trillion. It was also 7.5 percent higher than the end-December domestic capitalization of P2.47 trillion, but lower than its month-end level in March 2008 of P3.52 trillion.
“I believe the reforms that have been put in place in the past years have allowed us to enter the global recession from a position of strength. Hopefully, our growth momentum can allow us to once more recover from the financial storm at a faster pace, the same way we did during the 1997 Asian financial crisis,” the PSE president further said. (PNA)
Senate to prioritize economic bills, amendments in EPIRA and CARL
Economic bills topped the list of senate priorities.
Majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said they would like to cover as many bills as possible before the election sets in the Senate.
He said the senate is looking into bills that will help stimulate economy and will provide social safety nets against the impact of global recession.
Among the bills considered priority are the amendments in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL), the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), Condonation of Delinquent Contributions to SSS, the Simplified Net Income System, the Paglaum Fund bill for the rehabilitation of Panay caused by typhoon Frank last year, and the Mechanization of our Agricultural sector.
Zubiri added that they are expecting the completion of the bicameral reports on the
Pag-IBIG Charter amendment, the Real Estate Investment Companies Act and the Mount Banahaw and Mt. Cristobal Protected Areas.
Government to keep up pressure vs Abu Sayyaf
Authorities are keeping the pressure up on Abu Sayyaf to force the bandits to release its hostages.
Sulu Governor Abdul Sakur Tan said the bandit group is surrounded and its access to food and arms was limited.
Tan believed that continuing the pressure on the bandit group will help end the Sulu hostage crisis.
He said government used the same pressure to force the bandits to release Mary Jane Lacaba.
Reports from Radyo ng Bayan said the Philippine National Police has beefed up its forces in Sulu.
PNP Chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said they have sent reinforcements from mobile groups from Regions 6 and 7.
Around 100 police officers from the regional mobile groups will join the current forces based in Sulu.
Verzosa added that they will also deploy additional members of special action force in the province.
The Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu, led by Albader Parad and Dr. Abu, is still holding Lacaba’s colleagues, Andreas Notter and Eugenio Vagni, as hostages.
Reports said the group separated into three groups and hiding between Mountains Tumatangis and Mount Tamaran.
Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno said Vagni needs medical attention.
Puno said Vagni is suffering from hernia that requires immediate operation.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces held a dialogue with local government executives to explain the recent imposition of state of emergency over the province.
ICRC Task Force Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Arevalo said the state of emergency helped authorities in keeping peace and order as well as boosted the campaign against suspected criminals and terrorists.
Arevalo cited the arrest of Hadji Akmad who allegedly supplied the Abu Sayyaf with arms.
2009 Palarong Pambansa in Leyte promises high tech, higher level of competition
Tacloban City (April 11) - The Palarong Pambansa, the country’s biggest sports event which opens on April 27 to May 2, promises a higher level of competition and the full use of technology in delivering real time games results to the spectators.
The Department of Education said that whatever is the latest in the international standards of sports events, it will be applied in the Palaro in Leyte, in line with DepEd’s thrust to continue to raise the level of competition as well as the management of the Palaro.
DepEd will make full use of ICT in ensuring that the public is updated on the results of the games. Immediately after each event is played, the results may be viewed on-line
especially by those who cannot be at the venue. Wide screen projectors will also be installed in strategic areas.
Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla and the other provincial officials of Leyte saw to it that the athletes will have a good venue for the Palaro 2009.
The venue of the Palaro is the newly refurbished Leyte Sports Development Center in Tacloban City, Leyte and the results of the events will be viewed by the spectators through the local television and heard by the public through a private and government radio stations.
The result of the games could also be read at various websites which include http://depedtfss.wikispaces.com; leyte.gov.org; and pia.8.tk.
About 15,000 athletes and school officials from 17 delegations representing public and
private elementary and secondary schools all over the country will see action in the week-long sporting event which is hosted by the Provincial Government of Leyte and the Department of Education Region 8.
Director Sol F. Matugas said there will be 17 events for the secondary level and 14 events for the primary level.
The athletes competing in the Palaro emerged from the elimination round in regional athletics meets held months and weeks before the grand Palaro.
The Province of Leyte is providing the venues and facilities for the Palaro. On the other hand, DepEd handles the technical management of the Palaro including the procurement of technical equipment needed for the events.
DepEd is ensuring the integrity of the games by conducting reorientation of the chairs in the screening committees in the district, division and regional levels so that they will be updated on the rules for screening and accreditation of athletes. (PIA 8)
