Strategizing on sailors. Vice President and Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers Noli “Kabayan” de Castro discusses with Labor Secretary Marianito Roque and representatives of shipping companies and manning agencies measures to protect Filipino seafarers amid rising risks from Somali pirates. Lately, vessels bearing Filipino seafarers have been raided by pirates, with the Gulf of Aden turning into one of the most notorious sites. This week, the number of Filipinos held by pirates rose to 97, officials were told at the meeting at the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines office in Intramuros, Manila.

‘US crisis may cut RP growth’

WITH US President George W. Bush confirming that the United States has indeed plunged into a serious financial crisis, local economists are expecting the Philippines to also experience a slowdown this year and the next.

Philippine Economic Society president Fernando Aldaba said on Thursday the country’s growth prospects at this point are “grim,” considering that the US is still considered as the Philippines’ major export market.

Eagles paint town blue with UAAP conquest

CHRIS TIU, the most senior and perhaps the most recognizable on the team, stepped up when season Most Valuable Player (MVP) Rabeh Al-Hussaini couldn’t.

And add the prized find from Bacolod—Nonoy Baclao—and the result was a sweet 2-0 sweep and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 71 men’s basketball championship for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 62-51, at the expense of their bitter rival De La Salle on Thursday.

‘GSIS won’t be pressured’ on global funds

THE Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) said on Thursday that a mark to market valuation of its global investment program (GIP) being demanded by some sectors would not do justice to GIP at present.

House forms quick-response team

AN economic team has been formed in the House of Representatives that would liaison with President Arroyo’s economic managers to formulate a package of fiscal reforms to shield the country from looming aftershocks of the American financial meltdown.

Manufacturing output up 8.1% in July–Missi

THE country’s manufacturing output posted a year-on-year growth of 8.1 percent in July 2008, according to the latest Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (Missi) released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on Thursday.

‘People deserve maximum social services’

“THE government wants to spend P1.4 trillion from the taxes they collect from the people like the value-added tax [VAT]. The people then should get no less than P1.4 trillion worth of services and benefits.”

DOF ready as TMAP, solons set to sue

THE Department of Finance (DOF) is steeling itself for a possible lawsuit from a trade group that had disputed several items in the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) to Republic Act (RA) 9504, the tax-relief package law.

Breast-feeding pitched amid tainted-milk fears

UNITED Nations agencies have, without meaning to gloat on others’ misery, apparently found the perfect pitch for breast-feeding in the ongoing Chinese milk crisis: The foolproof defense against chemical-tainted commercial milk products is mother’s milk.

Labor exporters should ‘demand better terms’

THEY are needed but remain an “inconvenient necessity”—the nearly 200 million migrant workers spread all over mostly developed countries or oil-rich ones.

Dr. Jean D’ Cunha, regional program director for Southeast Asia of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (Unifem), said sending states should gather their ranks to enable them to bargain for better working conditions and equal protection of rights for their migrant workers.

Asian labor best hope for Guam bases

HAGATNA, Guam—The challenge is to attract thousands of US-eligible workers to Guam for the United States military’s relocation from Okinawa, and Guam officials strongly believe that their best bet to fill the huge labor gap lies in the Asian work force.

Makati Med, 12 others get BOI perks

THE Board of Investments (BOI) has approved the grant of incentives to 13 projects, including the P1.672-billion expansion project of Makati Medical Center (MMC).

MMC, owned by the Medical Doctors Inc., is spending P900 million for a new 12-story building to expand its capacity by additional 445 beds, with the rest of the P1.67 billion going to the acquisition of equipment and facilities.

DELIA DOMINGO ALBERT, Philippine ambassador to Germany and former foreign affairs secretary, is flanked by Myrna Yap of the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (left) and Sylvia Lichauco de Leon of Lola Grande Foundation for Women and Children Inc., after she addressed the International Conference on Gender, Migration and Development that opened Thursday at the Sofitel Hotel. --RHOY COBILLA