Archive for February 20th, 2009
Best LGU practices cited, from reducing disaster risk to collecting more revenues
By Jesus F. Llanto
Researcher, Newsbreak
February 11, 1009
A scorecard to measure performance and improve governance in the city. A barangay government code that has resulted in more revenues and better peace and order situation. A market organized by the provincial government but run by farmers. A disaster risk management and risk reduction program of a calamity-prone province.
These are programs of four local government units (LGUs) that were recently given special citation by the Galing Pook Awards—which recognizes best practices of LGUs—for their programs that provide incentives at the local level to improve performance and governance.
The local governments that received the Special Citation on Local Capacity Incentive Mechanism for Good Governance are: Barangay Sanito in Ipil Zamboanga Sibugay, San Fernando City in Pampanga, and the provinces of Negros Oriental and Albay.
Eddie Dorotan, executive director of the Galing Pook Awards told abs-cbnnews.com/Newsbreak that the citation highlights efforts of the local government to come up with innovative programs that give incentives to further improve the delivery of basic services.
According to the souvenir program of the Galing Pook Awards, the recipients of the special citation proved that LGUs have “taken up the challenge of decentralization” brought by the enactment of the Local Government Code and have “continually innovated to make delivery of services more efficient.”
“Local officials often have insufficient preparation, capacities and in some cases, very limited resources, to respond to the new demands and challenges…Some LGUs have found creative ways to better serve their constituents, in part by looking to themselves, their communities and their peers for new ideas and approaches,” the souvenir program reads.
BPO growth slowed down in 2008
By Jesus Llanto
Researcher, Newsbreak
Feb. 9, 2009
The revenue growth of the business process outsourcing industry in 2008 has slowed down to 26% as a result of delays in projects last year, an industry expert said.
Speaking at the 9th E-Services Global Conference in Pasay City, Oscar Sanez, chief executive officer of the Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP), said the industry grew only by 26 percent in 2008 because of delay in projects during the last quarter.
“Initially we are estimating that we will be hitting 30-35 percent growth but we did not hit that,” Sanez told reporters. “Some of the projects in the last quarter have been delayed to 2009.”
The latest industry data presented at today’s conference showed that the industry generated revenue of US$6.06 billion last year, from US$4.9 billion in 2007. Data also showed that the number of workers employed by the industry grew by 25% from around 297, 000 in 2007 to 371,965 in 2008.
Sanez said they are expecting a growth of 20-30 percent in 2009. In an interview last December, Sanez told abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak that a slower growth in 2009 is expected as companies implement re-structuring policies and review their expansion plans amidst the global economic slowdown and the recession in the United States, where most BPO clients are located.
“A 30 percent growth in 2009 will get us to US$7.5-8 billion dollars,” Sanez said, adding that they are still on track with the target of attaining the 2010 target of US$13 billion, or 10 percent share of the global market.
RP population growth burden on economy
By Jesus F. Llanto
Researcher, Newsbreaak
January 29, 2009
The continuous increase in population in the country is expected to put additional pressure on the Philippines as it suffers from the effects of the global economic slowdown, the head of the country’s anti-poverty commission said.
Speaking at a forum on hunger mitigation, population management and poverty reduction at the University of the Philippines, National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Secretary Domingo Panganiban said that slowdown in economies abroad would mean a decrease in trade, reduction in foreign investments and higher levels of unemployment.
“The bleakness of that prospect is multiplied many times over as our ever-increasing population exerts ever-increasing pressures on our nation’s resources,” Panganiban said.
“Already, a host of unemployed Filipinos face the grim problem of existence and an equally great number of employed workers toil with little return,” he added.
The latest census in 2007 showed that there are 88.6 million Filipinos. The population grew at 2.04 percent from 2000-2007 and is expected to double or reach 177 million in 2041. This means that population will grow by 1.8 million Filipinos every year.
The Philippines is the 12th most populous country in the world. A reproductive health bill that seeks more funding for a government campaign to promote natural and artificial family planning among Filipinos is pending at the House of Representatives but is facing tough opposition from the influential Roman Catholic Church.
