Archive for February 2008
TIMELINE: Exposing the ZTE Controversy
April 21, 2007 :The Office of the President comes out with a press release that President Arroyo stood as a witness to the signing of five economic and trade agreements between the Philippine government and China. One of these agreements is on the national broadband network (NBN) project with the Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment Company Limited (ZTE).
April 27, 2007 :Jarius Bondoc writes in his Philippine Star column of an “unnamed Comelec official” who had a hand in the approval of the overpriced NBN deal.
Aug. 29, 2007 :Rep. Carlos Padilla identifies Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos as the official who brokered for the project.
Aug. 30, 2007:Abalos denies Padilla’s allegations, but confirms that he and some officials of ZTE are golfing buddies. He says that ZTE officials have paid for his trips to China.
Click here to see the full timeline.
Click here to read Newsbreak’s special page for the ZTE Controversy.
100 Best Love Songs of All Time
In 2002, American cable company VH1 (Video Hits One)released a list of the “100 Greatest Love Songs of All Time”. (Those in bold are among my favorites)
1 WHITNEY HOUSTON -I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU
2 ELVIS PRESLEY -LOVE ME TENDER
3 CELINE DION -MY HEART WILL GO ON
4 JOURNEY -OPEN ARMS
5 PAUL MCCARTNEY & WINGS -MAYBE I’M AMAZED
6 RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS -UNCHAINED MELODY
7 LIONEL RICHIE/DIANA ROSS -ENDLESS LOVE
8 ELTON JOHN -YOUR SONG
9 JACKSON 5 -I’LL BE THERE
10 AEROSMITH -I DON’T WANNA MISS A THING11 ETTA JAMES -AT LAST
12 BEE GEES -HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE
13 SINEAD O’CONNOR -NOTHING COMPARES 2 U
14 OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN -I HONESTLY LOVE YOU
15 BILLY JOEL -SHE’S GOT A WAY
16 FRANK SINATRA -FLY ME TO THE MOON
17 FAITH HILL -BREATHE
18 PETER GABRIEL -IN YOUR EYES
19 CHICAGO -IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW
20 SONNY & CHER -I GOT YOU BABE
21 OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN/JOHN TRAVOLTA -YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I WANT
22 BARBRA STREISAND/NEIL DIAMOND -YOU DON’T BRING ME FLOWERS
23 NAT KING COLE/NATALIE COLE -UNFORGETTABLE
24 ERIC CLAPTON -WONDERFUL TONIGHT
25 JOE COCKER -YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL
26 STYX -BABE
27 ROD STEWART -YOU’RE IN MY HEART
28 MARVIN GAYE -LET’S GET IT ON
29 WILLIE NELSON -ALWAYS ON MY MIND
30 CELINE DION -BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME
31 STEVIE WONDER -YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE
32 JOHN LENNON -WOMAN
33 BRYAN ADAMS -(EVERYTHING I DO) I DO IT FOR YOU
34 REO SPEEDWAGON -KEEP ON LOVING YOU
35 CARPENTERS – SUPERSTAR
36 BARRY WHITE -YOU’RE MY FIRST, MY LAST, MY EVERYTHING
37 NO DOUBT -DON’T SPEAK
38 MADONNA -CRAZY FOR YOU
39 BON JOVI -I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU
40 SHANIA TWAIN -YOU’RE STILL THE ONE
41 KISS -BETH
42 MEATLOAF -I’D DO ANYTHING FOR LOVE
43 EXTREME -MORE THAN WORDS
44 BILL MEDLEY/JENNIFER WARNES -I’VE HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE
45 TONI BRAXTON -UNBREAK MY HEART
46 AL GREEN -LET’S STAY TOGETHER
47 PRINCE -I WOULD DIE FOR U
48 SADE -BY YOUR SIDE
49 BONNIE RAITT -I CAN’T MAKE YOU LOVE ME
50 ATLANTIC STARR -ALWAYS
51 JANET JACKSON -THAT’S THE WAY LOVE GOES
52 DEF LEPPARD -LOVE BITES
53 BARRY MANILOW -MANDY
54 ALICIA KEYS -FALLIN’
55 PRETENDERS -I’LL STAND BY YOU
56 ROBERTA FLACK -THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE
57 FOREIGNER -I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS
58 EMOTIONS -BEST OF MY LOVE
59 JOURNEY -FAITHFULLY
60 COMMODORES -THREE TIMES A LADY
61 HEART -ALONE
62 MR. BIG -TO BE WITH YOU
63 LEE ANN RIMES -HOW DO I LIVE
64 MODERN ENGLISH -I MELT WITH YOU
65 RICKY MARTIN/THE FREE WHORE -NOBODY WANTS TO BE LONELY
66 GOO GOO DOLLS -IRIS
67 BANGLES -ETERNAL FLAME
68 BOSTON -MORE THAN A FEELING
69 INXS -NEVER TEAR US APART
70 DAVID CASSIDY -I THINK I LOVE YOU
71 LED ZEPPELIN -WHOLE LOTTA LOVE
72 CAPTAIN & TENILLE -LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER
73 VANESSA WILLIAMS -SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST
74 CHAKA KHAN -I FEEL FOR YOU
75 PETER FRAMPTON -BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY
76 DONNA SUMMER -LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY
77 LISA LISA & CULT JAM -ALL CRIED OUT
78 EDWIN MCCAIN -I’LL BE
79 GUNS N’ ROSES -SWEET CHILD O’MINE
80 KENNY ROGERS & DOLLY PARTON -ISLANDS IN THE STREAM
81 BONNIE TYLER -TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART
82 CHRIS ISAAK -WICKED GAME
83 BOYZ II MEN -I’LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU
84 CYNDI LAUPER -TIME AFTER TIME
85 WHAM -CARELESS WHISPER
86 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN -SECRET GARDEN
87 WHITESNAKE -IS THIS LOVE
88 DIDO -THANK YOU
89 CHEAP TRICK -I WANT YOU TO WANT ME
90 BRIAN MCKNIGHT -BACK AT ONE
91 ELVIS COSTELLO -ALISON
92 AIR SUPPLY -ALL OUT OF LOVE
93 PAT BENATAR -WE BELONG
94 N’SYNC -THIS I PROMISE YOU
95 ROXETTE -IT MUST HAVE BEEN LOVE
96 ANDY GIBB -I JUST WANT TO BE YOUR EVERYTHING
97 CHRISTOPHER CROSS -THINK OF LAURA
98 LL COOL J -I NEED LOVE
99 ENRIQUE IGLESIAS -HERO
100 POISON -EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN
14 Locations Outside Metro Are BPO-Ready
Government and private sector specialists recently told business process outsourcing (BPO) companies to invest in 14 localities outside Metro Manila and Cebu that have the infrastructure and talent pool to meet the industry’s growing demands.
During the 8th Global Sourcing Conference held in Manila that ended Tuesday, the Department of Trade and Industry and the outsourcing advisory firm Tholons identified these growth areas in a just-completed study.
Although the study dubbed the new locations as the “next wave cities,” they include a province and two municipalities. The growth areas are the cities of Bacolod, Baguio, Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Clark/Angeles, Davao, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Legaspi, Lipa, and Sta. Rosa; the municipalities of Bacoor in Cavite and of Cainta in Rizal; and the province of Camarines Sur.
There are existing BPO investments in these locations.
The study also listed the localities where there are no BPO investments yet, but are ready to accommodate them. These are the province of Leyte and the cities of Cabanatuan, Dagupan, Subic-Olongapo, General Santos, and Urdaneta.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Photo: www.flickr.com
Industry Experts: RP should go beyond call centers
said that the Philippines should offer services other than voice-related ones for which it has become an internationally acknowledged center of excellence.During the 8th Global Sourcing and Conference in Manila that ended Tuesday, experts said the Philippines should venture into software, animation, and engineering services, among other sectors in the outsourcing and offshoring (O&O) industry.
“It will be interesting if we can move up the value chain other than voice-related services,” said Ray Anthony Roxas Chua III, chair of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology.
Among the BPO sectors in the Philippines, contact centers generate the biggest revenue and employs the largest number of workers. In 2007, contact centers accounted for 73 percent of the industry’s US$4.8-billion revenue. Sixty-six percent of the 300,000 workers in the industry come from contact centers.
However, software, animation, and engineering services have been generating more income and hiring more workers lately. The number of workers working for engineering and software solutions increased by 82 percent in 2007.
“We can capitalize on [this growth] but it will involve training and encouraging students to focus on computer science and engineering to capture the opportunities,” Chua said.
Malacanang Prepared Antedated Travel Papers for Lozada
Former president of the Philippine Forest Corp. Rodolfo Noel Lozada said today that he was instructed to leave the country to avoid appearing before the Senate. In his testimony today at the Senate, he recounted details of his departure for Hong Kong and his “disappearance” upon arriving from Hong Kong.Lozada, an IT expert, was expected to corroborate the testimony of former economic planning secretary Romulo Neri on the national broadband network deal with ZTE Corp.
Lozada said that he met with his boss, Environment and Natural Resources Secetary Lito Atienza, last week and recounted what he knows about the overpriced broadband deal. He told Atienza that he didn’t want to appear in the Senate to testify.
The Office of the Executive Secretary then arranged his travel papers. Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Manuel Gaite processed an ante-dated travel order to Hong Kong.
RELATED STORIES:
- Lozada: Benjamin Abalos and Mike Arroyo Behind Broadband Deal Overprice
- Senate Key Witness to Corroborate Neri
Photo: www.gangbadoy.multiply.com
Timeline: The Fall of De Venecia
The House of Representatives unseated its longest serving speaker, Jose de Venecia Jr., Monday night after a nine-hour session. The House voted De Venecia’s party mate Davao City representative Prospero Nograles, who got 174 votes.Global Watchdog: RP ‘Weak’ in Anti-Corruption Programs
The Philippines has “weak” anti-corruption mechanisms, says an international watchdog that assesses the “effectiveness and citizen access to key national-level anti-corruption mechanisms.”
The report by Global Integrity shows that out of a possible score of 100, the Philippines received a score of 67 down from last year’s “moderate” rating of 73. Global Integrity, however, said the downgrade was partly due to the introduction of a new methodology in its study.
The report, which covers 55 countries, used six categories in its assessment: civil society, media, and public access to information; elections; government accountability; administration and civil service, oversight regulation, and anti-corruption and rule of law.
In its latest report, Global Integrity introduced a new sub-category—state owned enterprises—under oversight regulation. The study used the following scale in rating the countries : Very Strong (90-100); Strong (80-90); Moderate (70-80); Weak (60-70); and Very Weak (Below 60).
POOR ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
The new report said that the Philippines slid back in three categories: civil society, public information and media (from “moderate” in 2006 to “weak” in 2007), oversight and regulation (strong to weak) and anti-corruption and rule of law (moderate to weak). (Click here to read 2006 and 2007 Global Integrity Reports ratings for the Philippines.)
The country, however, maintained its ratings for the other three categories: “very weak” rating for elections, “moderate” for government accountability and administration and civil service.
