Sa patuloy na pag-unlad ng 24/7 na negosyo at ng dami ng somnambulistang manggagawa, tandaan din na 24/7 na bukas ang Mercury Drugstore at ang emergency unit ng mga ospital sa natitiyak nating pagdami ng magiging casualty ng lokal na hanay ng worker ants sa mababang pambansang pagkabahagi sa globalisasyon. NI ROLAND TOLENTINO Bulatlat KULTURANG…
Day: February 5, 2008
Saving the Ifugao Rice Terraces
Since the last quarter of the previous year, different local government units and other civil society organizations in Ifugao have been engaged in a concerted effort to preserve the rice terraces and promote the Ifugao culture. BY ACE ALEGRE Contributed to Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 1, February 3-9, 2008 Lagawe, Ifugao (348 kms. North of…
Baguio-based Army Reservists Maul Sagada Mayor’s Son, 3 Studes
Three Army reservists based at the Athletic Bowl here allegedly mauled four students, including the son of the mayor of Sagada, Mountain Province, on Jan. 26 at the Melvin Jones ground here. BY ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW Northern Dispatch Posted by Bulatlat HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH Vol. VIII, No. 1, February 3-9, 2008 BAGUIO CITY (246 kms…
‘Strong’ Peso and Weakening Dollar Hurting Workers
Prior to the specter of a U.S. recession, the Arroyo government had been making much of the historically unprecedented but unsustainable appreciation of the peso. She’s been crediting it to her fiscal managers and “good economic fundamentals.” But Labog says these economic fundamentals cannot be good if they are hurting the very people who should…
Gloria’s Energy Program
Here lie the fundamental problems of the Arroyo regime’s approach to the energy sector. First, the quick-fix oil tariff cut, in reality, has an insignificant impact on ordinary oil consumers. It did reduce diesel prices by P1 per liter but the prices of other petroleum products like gasoline, kerosene, and LPG that are commonly used…
‘Obhetibong Pagpanig’ ng mga Mamamahayag
Kung ang mamamahayag ay bahagi ng balita, siguradong makokompromiso ang kanyang kredibilidad dahil iisipin ng kanyang mga mambabasa, tagapakinig o tagapanood na siya ay hindi obhetibo. Pero iba na ang pagkakataon ngayon. Kaming mga mamamahayag ay naging bahagi na ng balita dahil sa desisyon naming labanan ang malinaw na pagsikil sa kalayaan sa pamamahayag. NI…
Charged Filipino Nurses Confident of Acquittal Despite Delays, Prejudice
After four suspensions and rescheduling of their case hearings and perceived partiality of the Suffolk Criminal Courthouse, the Filipino nurses charged with patient endangerment and their lawyer are confident that they will be cleared of what they called “malicious” charges filed against them by the SentosaCare LLC and its owner Bent Philipson. BY AUBREY SC…
A Class Suit for Press Freedom
Police and Justice Department officials face a P10 million class suit filed by over a hundred journalists and three media organizations for the illegal arrest of their colleagues after the Manila Pen siege by rebel soldiers November last year and the succeeding threats thereof. By Dabet Castañeda Bulatlat Vol VIII. No. 1, February 3-9, 2008…
Philippine Bureaucracy: Bloated and Corrupted
Most bureaucrats see their positions as both a power and a privilege shielded by immunities instead of as a public service that involves accountability. BY THE CENTER FOR PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT AND GOVERNANCE Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 1, February 3-9,2008 Ed San Pedro (not his real name) had served five presidents, from Ferdinand E.…
Moody’s Upgrade Not a Sign of Fiscal Health for RP
Rating to result in more debts, says think-tank The Philippines’ fiscal crisis remains and could come to a head in 2008 despite the upgrade given by international ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service. The likelihood of this will increase the more adverse impact of the US economy’s troubles on Philippine exports, remittances and financial markets. BY…
GDP Growth Hype Cannot Hide Gov’t Economic Failures
The Arroyo administration’s hype over its full-year 2007 economic growth cannot hide its many economic failures. BY IBON FOUNDATION Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 1, February 3-9, 2008 The Arroyo administration’s hype over its full-year 2007 economic growth cannot hide its many economic failures, according to independent think-tank IBON Foundation. Reacting to the administration’s…