Content about Labor

MANILA, Philippines (Jan 5, 2012) - Former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. disclosed yesterday that he is willing to testify against former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her Sandiganbayan trial in connection with the botched NBN -ZTE deal.

The Ombudsman has filed graft charges against Arroyo in connection with the aborted $329-million national broadband network (NBN) contract her administration awarded to Chinese firm ZTE Corp. in 2007.

MANILA, Dec. 31, 2011–The crusade for a culture of life is an advocacy of truth, and based on the goings-on in 2011 alone, the pro-life advocacy has covered a lot of ground and, inadvertently, saw much success in promoting the truth.

Though reproductive health (RH) legislation in the Philippines is not new — being proposed, discussed, rejected and resurrected for decades now — 2012 saw significant developments in its promotion as well as in its opposition. The year ended with the RH bill reaching the period of interpellation in both chambers of Congress, heated debates in progress when legislative sessions went on adjournment on the final month of the year. Mass actions such as rallies and prayer vigils to express opposition to the bill happened not just in the country’s capital, but in many other cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Civil society seemed to wake up to the folly of the legislative measure and wanted to be heard loud and clear.

MANILA, Dec. 25, 2011—At least 100 overseas Filipino workers had spent their Christmas in jam-packed temporary shelter provided by the Philippine Government in the Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates’ capital city.

Mostly absconders, John Leonard Monterona, regional coordinator of Migrante-Middle East said, these OFWs had run away from their abusive employers, sought the help of the Philippine Embassy, hoping that they could be repatriated immediately. But sad to say, most of them have already stayed at the Bahay Kanlungan for about three to six months now.

QUEZON CITY, philippines (Dec 23, 2011) - The National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) favored GMA Marketing and Productions, Inc. (GMPI), the marketing arm of broadcast giant GMA Network, Inc. (GMA), in a labor case filed by its former Sales Director Corazon Guison.

In a Resolution issued on November 15, 2011, the Fifth Division of the NLRC presided by Commissioner Leonardo Leonida reversed and set aside the Decision of Labor Arbiter Joel Lustria dated January 31, 2011 which declared Guison's dismissal from employment as illegal.

LEGAZPI CITY (Dec 18, 2011) – The government’s policy of witholding infrastructure spending has taken its toll on thousands of construction workers whose employers are highly dependent on government projects in the Bicol region.

Elizabeth Del Castillo, owner of the Garcia Construction and concurrent vice-president of the Association of Bicol Contractors (ABC), said that 300 government-accredited contractors belonging to their organization that used to employ 6000 workers on aggregate have been forced to lay off 90 percent of their workforce because of scarcity of government infrastructure projects being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) .

NAGA CITY (Dec 13,2011) – In response to the resurgence of motorcycle-borne “riding in tandem” robbers, thirty policemen have volunteered to use their personally-owned motorcycles to patrol the 27 Barangays of this city and augment the city police’s  integrated anti-crime system.

The police chief is appreciative of the scheme where “riding in tandem” cops shall be fitted against “riding in tandem” criminals.

Once again, our Nation is apparently in a dilemma on how a former president, now Gloria Arroyo, accused of a crime and arrested by virtue of an arrest warrant should be treated. Or simply put, where should she be detained pending judicial proceedings?

President Aquino was certainly right in dodging the question by stating that such matter is within the jurisdiction or power of the court that issued the warrant of arrest. His government’s job is to prosecute the case, that is, to present evidence to show guilt beyond reasonable doubt...

MILAOR, Camarines Sur (Nov 22, 2011) – Thousands of residents in populated areas in this municipality and adjacent Naga City have filed a petition to the local government of this town complaining about the stench originating from a large piggery and an asphalt plant in a compound owned by the Uy family in barangay San Vicente in this town.

A petition signed by about 150 residents in San Vicente and several hundreds more in Mabulo, Naga City has prodded the local government of this town to take action as Uy's piggery and asphalt batching plant pollute the air and an artery of the Bicol river, posing health hazards to nearby residents.

MANILA, Philippines (Nov. 8, 2011) – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) takes the New 7 Wonders search very seriously, fully aware what boost to tourism and the country's prestige it would bring if a Philippine site were to make it among the top in the ongoing worldwide poll.

Two day before the closing of votes for the worldwide search for the New 7 Wonders of Nature, Local Government Jesse Robredo called on local officials to support and vote the country’s Puerto Princesa Underground River...

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – Texters shall  benefit from reduced charges  for text messaging after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) approved the reduction in the interconnection charges  short messaging service or SMS.

In a directive, the NTC ordered that the interconnection charge for SMS between two separate telecommunications networks should not exceed 15 centavos per SMS.

DAET, Camarines Norte (Oct 29, 2011) – Recent incidents of armed robberies targeting the business community threaten the economic lifeblood of this capital town and the business sector is pleading for help.

The most recent armed robbery was carried out in broad daylight in the morning of Oct 24 by 5 motorcycle-riding suspects with Visayan accent and resulted in the death of ...