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AS expected,
Monday’s continuation of the Senate hearing on the
national broadband network deal was jampacked. Except for
journalist Jarius Bondoc (third from right), those who
testified were (from left)Supt.Paul Mascariñas, head of
the PNP-PSPO; National Police chief Avelino Razon Jr.;
telecoms engineer Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr.; businessman
Joey de Venecia III; former presidential chief of staff
Mike Defensor; and Environment Secretary Lito Atienza. -- ROY
DOMINGO |
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‘BPO-based growth unsustainable’ |
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DESPITE the
impressive growth rates registered by the services sector in
recent years mainly from the robust business-process
outsourcing (BPO) firms, the Philippines cannot rely on it
to achieve sustainable gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
This is the
opinion of Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS)
president Josef Yap and research analyst Fatima Lourdes del
Prado in a recent PIDS Policy Notes publication. |
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Talent crunch biggest threat to BPO boom |
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THE
investors are willing, but the talent supply is weak.
This is the
predicament that the local business-process outsourcing (BPO)
sector faces as it seeks to grow to its full potential of
achieving a 10-percent share in the global outsourcing and
offshoring (O&O) market by 2010, with an estimated annual
revenue share of about $13 billion. |
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RP
targets robust 40-percent growth in O&O, says GMA |
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PRESIDENT
Arroyo said Monday the Philippines will bat for a 40-percent
growth in the global offshoring and outsourcing (O&O) sector
this year, to be supported by a targeted 40-percent increase
in trained work force for the industry. |
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Lozada not kidnapped–PNP, civilian execs to Senate |
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ENVIRONMENT
Secretary Lito Atienza, National Police chief Avelino Razon
Jr. and former presidential chief of staff Mike Defensor
Monday clarified that it was controversial witness Rodolfo
Noel Lozada Jr. who sought their assistance in avoiding a
warrant of arrest issued by Senate investigators who wanted
Lozada to testify. |
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ADB
integrity panel predicts rise in corruption complaints |
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THE
Integrity Division of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
expects to receive more complaints on fraudulent and corrupt
transactions this year following the tenfold increase of
complaints in 2007, according to the division’s 2007 annual
report. |
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2007
ends with P53.6-B deficit |
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WHILE public
spending was deliberately ramped up in December last year by
some P16 billion, the government still ended with a budget
deficit for the year of P53.6 billion, lower than the target
of P63 billion.
The
increased spending continues to be poured into
infrastructure programs this year as a means of shielding
the economy from possible recession overspill from the
United States,
where most businessmen believe it is now a reality while the
government of President Bush continues to hedge. |
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Fewer Filipinos getting hitched |
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THE number
of Filipinos getting married, particularly those who seal
their vows in church and in other religious rites, has
declined, according to data recently released by the
National Statistics Office (NSO). |
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Seesaw taxes bug DOF |
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THE
government is perplexed as to why excise-tax collection from
cigarettes and alcohol products can swing so wildly,
throwing a monkey wrench into revenue planning: exceeding
the goal one year and hitting the nadir the next, prompting
Finance Secretary Margarito Teves to seek help from the
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to
understand it better. |
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FDIs
rise 33.8 percent to $1.9B in 1st 11 months of 2007: BSP |
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FOREIGN
direct investments (FDIs), seen originally as net outflow in
2007, flowed inward instead on net basis in the first 11
months to $1.9 billion, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
said on Monday. |
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DOE
acts on incandescent bulb phaseout |
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THE
Department of Energy (DOE) said Monday that it has started
phasing out the use of incandescent bulbs in the country by
2010.
Based on the
potential benefits of switching from incandescent bulbs to
more energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs),
Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes said the calibrated
phaseout of incandescent bulbs will be made within two years
to reduce the national energy consumption and greenhouse-gas
emission in light of rising oil prices and adverse effects
of climate change. |
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MORE STORIES ... |
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Irreplaceable
South Korea’s No.
1 national treasure Namdaemun sits destroyed in Seoul Monday
after an overnight fire. The fire destroyed the 610-year-old
landmark that was considered the top national treasure,
officials said. Police said the cause of the blaze was
unclear but one official said arson was suspected. --AP |
