Archive for March 7th, 2008
ADB report: Corruption one of RP’s growth constraints
Tight fiscal situation, inadequate infrastructure, weak investor confidence and inability to solve market failures have constrained private investment and growth in the Philippines, a study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.Muslim Mindanao regains no. 1 spot in poorest regions list
By Jesus Llanto
Researcher, Newbsreak
March 5, 2008
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is once again the poorest region in the country with more than half its families classified as poor, official statistics from the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) showed.
Poverty incidence in ARMM, according to the 2006 Official Poverty Statistics, reached 55.3 percent, a 9.9 percent increase from 2003’s 45.4 percent.
This is not the first time that ARMM’s registered the highest poverty incidence. In 2000, the region was the country’s poorest with a 53.8 percent poverty incidence. Three years later, it was dislodged as the poorest region by CARAGA (Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur).
Statistics showed that the incidence of poverty in the pre-dominantly Muslim region is more than two times the national average of 26.9 percent.
Incidentally, three of ARMM’s six provinces—Tawi-tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur—were also among the ten poorest provinces in the country in 2006. Tawi-tawi had the highest poverty incidence of 78.9 percent among 81 provinces. This means that almost eight out of ten families in this province do not earn the minimum income to meet their food and non-food needs. Maguindanao had the third highest poverty incidence at 62 percent while Lanao del Sur ranked sixth with 52.5 percent. (Newsbreak/abs-cbnnews.com)
Call Centers Told: Meet the (Workers’) Parents
By Jesus Llanto
Researcher, Newsbreak
March 4, 2008
Recruitment consultant says parents need to be convinced that there’s career growth prospects for their children at BPO companies.
It’s like asking for your girlfriend’s hand in marriage–you have to meet her parents, and meet their expectations.
Parents, according to a recruitment consultant, are a key for business process outsourcing (BPO) companies to retaining skilled and talented workers, amid the industry’s growing problem with high turnovers.
In a recent forum on talent development and acquisition organized by JobsDB.com in Makati City, Jamea Garcia, executive director for talent development of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), advised BPO companies to give parents a tour of their facilities and acquaint them on the career possibilities that their children have in the industry.
“[Parents] think that work in the industry is simply answering phones and they do not know it involves a variety of work,” Garcia said.
The open house sessions, she said, should be an opportunity to convince parents that “there is a career in the outsourcing and offshoring industry.” (Newsbreak/abs-cbnnews.com)
Click here to read the rest of the story.
Photo Credit: Flickr
7 industries hit by ‘talent migration’
Researcher, Newsbreak
March 3, 20008
Human resources and recruitment specialists on Thursday said Philippine companies should adopt a “non-traditional” approach to keeping skilled and talented employees to minimize the high turnovers that have been experienced lately in at least seven industries.
In a forum on talent acquisition and development organized by JobsDB.com in Makati City, the speakers acknowledged that more and more companies are losing their workers due to more financially-rewarding opportunities in rival companies, in other industries, or abroad. It’s possible, they said, to convince workers to stay without always offering a heftier pay.
Cesar Baltazar, president of career training and consulting company iCareer Academy, said that most companies here still use the traditional approach in talent retention, where the emphasis is on preventing workers from leaving. Most of the time, this involves only offers of higher pay.
Companies, he said, should try another approach–giving workers reasons to stay with the company. These may include providing them incentives, professional development opportunities, and good working environment.
Baltazar said that while migration has brought “glowing opportunities” to Filipinos and has kept the Philippine economy afloat through remittances, it has left local companies scrambling for top talents in order to stay productive and competitive. (Newsbreak/abs-cbnnews.com)
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Photo Credit: Flickr.
Less IRA Forcing Mindanao Cities to Cut Down on Services, Workers
ByJesus F. Llanto, Researcher
Budgets for education, health, peace and order to be reduced by as much as 40 percent.
City governments in Mindanao are set to cut down on basic services and contractual employees to cope with the unexpected decrease in their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share this year.
Cities nationwide were expecting huge increases in their IRA this year, and thus programmed their expenditures based on those amounts. However, the national government–upon Congress’s initiative and the President’s approval–created 16 cities in 2007 that didn’t meet the requirements set by law. This slashed the old cities’ expected IRA increase by tens of millions each.
Earlier, existing cities launched a series of protest actions by threatening to halt operations or withholding tax remittances and government insurance payments.
Infanta Rises
By Jesus Llanto
Researcher, Newsbreak
The town of Infanta in Quezon province has seen too many typhoons, floods, and landslides. They just have to be expected every year along the country’s typhoon belt where the municipality is located.
In November and December 2004, for example, floods brought by typhoons Winnie and Yoyong destroyed P103 million worth of agricultural crops and caused P300 million in damages to infrastructure. The disaster killed at least 170 people and left thousands homeless.
Infanta refused to wallow in devastation, though, and designed a disaster management program that required the participation of its residents. It is one of the 10 best practices in local governance that Galing Pook Foundation, a network of multi-sectoral organizations, acknowledged recently in its annual awards.
Infanta’s disaster management program trains residents how to respond appropriately to disasters and emergencies. Drills are conducted, communication and early warning systems are installed, and investments are made in flood control equipment and in river rehabilitation efforts.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
- Photo Credit: Galing Pook Awards Souvenir Program
Unanswered Questions in Lozada ‘Kidnap’
The disappearance of witness Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada unfolded like an action series on television. His departure for Hong Kong to avoid testifying in the Senate, his return to Manila days after, and alleged kidnapping have generated so much interest that it almost overshadowed the real issue—the overpriced national broadband network (NBN) deal with China.
Lozada, an information technology expert, was expected to corroborate the testimony of his friend, former economic planning secretary Romulo Neri, on the botched NBN deal. The controversial deal with Chinese firm Zhong Xing Telecommunication Co. Ltd. (ZTE) has dragged the names of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, former elections chief Benjamin Abalos and Neri.
The Senate, however, is having a hard time unmasking the truth behind Lozada’s alleged disappearance because of conflicting statements from the parties involved and lack of cooperation from officials whose names have been mentioned but ignored the Senate invitation.
Airport officials and police officers involved in the alleged kidnapping snubbed last Monday’s Senate hearing. A letter sent by their lawyer Felixberto Verano said that chief of the Police Protection and Security Office (PPSO) Romeo Hilomen, Aviation Security Group Chief Atilano Morada, PPSO deputy Paul Mascariñas, airport security chief Angel Atutubo and Rodolfo Valeroso, retired personnel of the Presidential Security Group, would not show up citing their right against self-incrimination.
These officials could have shed light on other issues surrounding Lozada’s “kidnapping”, particularly, the presence of the Presidential Security Group agents at the airport during Lozada’s arrival.
Click here to read full article.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/
