THE diversification of skills of the Filipino migrant workers and of the labor market caused the country to achieve a remittances growth at robust pace in 2010. In a recent report by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), remittances from overseas Filipinos (Ofs) coursed through banks surged by 15.5% percent year-on-year to reach $1.6 billion…

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) recently reported that OFW remittances surged by 11 percent in November 2010 — from the $1.5 billion recorded in November 2009 to $1.6 billion in 2010. Cumulative remittances amounted to $17 billion from January to November, up year-on-year by 8.2 percent from $15.8 billion. BSP Gov. Amando Tetangco Jr. credits…

IN a Christian country like the Philippines, the birth of Jesus Christ is not only the most celebrated event as come January 1, thousands of devotees of the Black Jesus of Nazarene also greets the new year with a procession of the holy image along the streets of Quiapo in Manila. The devotees that recently…

WHEN suspected criminals are caught, they take mug shots and stand in front of a judge. But before justice is sought, the suspect must first be found. In an endeavor that has been brewing for a year now, the Philippine government headed by Pres. Benigno Aquino III and Justice Secretary Leila De Lima have turned…

IN HIS New Year’s message for the country, President Aquino said that there was much to be done but the ‘light of hope had shone’ on the Philippines because Pinoys have chosen to walk the straight path. He asked for unity and continued support from his kababayans, vowing to make his administration’s efforts in improving…

Tempus fugit, in aeternum. Time flees, forever. As we bid farewell to 2010, let us remember to relish the good and learn from the bad – and the lessons we gleaned from both. Admittedly, regardless whether it was a good or bad year, 2010 proved to be  interesting, both for Pinoys here in the US…

THE year 2010 came out as another difficult and challenging year for the Philippines, but Filipinos pulled through. The year is days away from its end, but before everyone celebrates the coming year, every Filipino is now responsible to ponder on the 12 months that have passed. It is the time where Filipinos should understand…

IT might be sheer coincidence, it may be because being  we are known to be a very forgiving race, especially since Christmas is only a few days away. For the past couple of weeks, freedom seems to be the operative word in the judicial system, and like a proverbial Christmas baratillo, there seems to be…

ON JUNE 30, 1991, a most gruesome incident occured in Lauro Vizconde’s household while he was in the United States on a business trip. His wife, Estrellita, 47 and daughters Carmela, 18 and Jennifer, 7 and were all stabbed to death. Findings also revealed that Carmela was raped before she was killed. The multiple homicide…

With the intention to avoid further conflict with China, the Philippine government has decided to forego in this year’s Nobel Prize awarding ceremonies in Norway, which honored Chinese democracy activist Lu Xiabao the Nobel Peace Prize for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in his country. The Philippines, known to be one…

PHILIPPINE tourism almost stands alone worldwide as a place that still has tremendous potential. Although affected by recent controversies mainly because of issues in security, the Philippines is well on its way to establishing itself as a major player in the tourism industry. The hostage-taking incident that happened on Aug. 23 is still a serious…

ACCORDING to Renaud Meyer, UNDP Country Director to the Philippines, the country’s performance in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) remains “generally low,” with barely five years into the deadline. “Accelerating progress to attain the MDGs requires increased resources to deliver what has been promised to those for whom the MDGs are not a reality,”…

EVERY year, many undocumented students face a roadblock to their dreams of building a future in this country.They can’t drive, can’t work legally, can’t further their education and pretty much can’t do anything after school – just because they were brought to this country illegally by their parents or lost legal status along the way….

MOST people are used to using the metaphoric phrases such as “winning the lottery” or “hitting the jackpot” whenever they encounter a fortunate incident in their lives. In the Philippines, however, “winning the lottery” is more than just a phrase—it has  become a recent mantra to those people who hoped that they could be the…

PYONGYANG’S shelling of the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong last November 23 has been considered by the government of South Korea as a clear-armed provocation. South Korea now warns North Korea that it will ‘sternly retaliate’ to any further provocation. On the other hand, North Korea viewed the joint military exercises by the US and…

WHENEVER Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao brings down an opponent, roars and cheers from Filipinos reverberate across the globe – an astounding phenomenon called the “Pacquiao effect” which moved De La Salle psychology professor Adrianne John Galang to create a study to prove whether the pound-for-pound king is capable of boosting his kababayans’ sense of national…

DESPITE the ruthless barrage of criticism which hit the controversial “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” slogan campaign of the Department of Tourism, DOT Undersecretary Vicente Romano II’s resignation, surprisingly, incited positive feedback – both from the Aquino administration and from the general public. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that “the President appreciated the act of Undersecretary Romano…

THE Philippine economy is booming. With foreign players starting to invest in the country, the time to harness the good prospect of doing business in the Philippines is now. Despite tough times due to the global crisis, the country is still able to offer the best investment opportunities. Last Monday, Nov. 15, President Benigno Aquino…

POUND-for-pound champ Manny “The Pacman” Pacquiao’s victory on Saturday has not only afforded him his eighth title in eight weight divisions – he has earned his rightful place among the ranks of the world’s greatest fighters. That, and a still unconfirmed 1.4 million in Pay-per-view buys on HBO should be more than enough to crow…

With the theme, “Change and Action,” attendees of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit have unanimously agreed “to adopt stronger mesasures to combat corruption, including denying safe haven to corrupt officials,” as reported by Philstar.com. The 21 members of the APEC aim “to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region.” APEC members…

THE improvement of the Philippine economy has been brought to the forefront recently after it was included in the ten most-improved economies cited by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) together with the World Bank (WB). The country was named in its report that discussed making business easier through simplifying trade across borders in 2009/2010 with…

PNoy has expressed his admonition over the United States’ failure to alert and inform him about supposed terror threats in the Philippines—the US government’s justification for travel warnings issued to its citizens who are planning to visit the country. However, when it came to the Visiting Forces Agreement, concerns aired by the US government were…

Anothertyphoon has hit the home country. Recently, typhoon Juan hit part of the Philippines and as history showed, the Filipino community around the world, banded together to help those affected in the mother country. Filipinos pride themselves in helping one another. When Typhoon Ondoy ravaged the home country, Filipinos from all over the world emptied…

BEING a citizen of a country, we have certain rights and privileges. We also have responsibilities in order to contribute in making a positive change. One of these rights, as well as responsibilities, is to vote for the people who will work with us, listen to our needs and the needs of the society, and…

IN his effort to lead the country towards economic growth, last September, President Benigno Aquino III came home from a visit to the United States bringing with him $2.4 billion worth of foreign investment contracts that is expected to generate 10,000 jobs. The Department of Labor and Employment(DoLE) seems to confirm that the Aquino administration…

ABOUT 11 million Filipinos, or about 12 percent of the Philippine population live below the subsistence level. Because of the lingering poverty, hunger is prevalent in some parts of the country. Furthermore, 18 percent of our population is considered undernourished. President Benigno Aquino III has always reiterated his efforts to address poverty in the country….

THE 7th anniversary of Gawad Kalinga on October 10 proved to be a timely and opportune moment for President Benigno S. Aquino III to exhort hiskababayans to work together in the spirit of bayanihan. He called on Filipinos “to adopt a renewed spirit of volunteerism,” saying that the bayanihan spirit “will serve as a catalyst to bring the country back to…

ON October 2, President Benigno Aquino III completed his first 100 days as the leader of the Philippines, the day when Filipinos evaluated him as president. Although we may have differing opinions about how much he has achieved in more than three months, we should realize that grading him should not be based on popularity….

MARKING the 54th year since the Philippines and Japan decided to reconcile amidst the damage brought upon by the Japanese Military during World War II, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura can only say “arigato gozaimas (thank you very much)” to the Filipino people for being noble enough to accept the reconciliation offered by his…

One of the most in demand workers in the United States aside from nurses today are physical therapists. With the increasing population of the elderly the need for more therapeutic services, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics of 2006 had foreseen the demand for more physical therapists by 30 percent through the year 2018 at…