It was only a few years ago when the Arroyo administration issued a total deployment ban to Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar and Iraq because of “unstable security conditions”. Fast-forward to the present. The Arroyo administration has now lifted the deployment ban claiming that the security conditions have “improved”. But has the protection of labor and…
Janess Ann J. Ellao
Going Through the Eye of a Needle: Availing of the P50K Loan for OFWs
Through the reintegration program of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), a National Livelihood Support Fund was launched to “assist” overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were retrenched due to the global financial crisis. But retrenched OFWs have to comply with the stiff requirements and be prepared for the long haul before they would be able…
Latin America Changes: Hunger Strikes in Bolivia, Summits in the Carribean
Bolivian President Evo Morales just completed a five-day hunger strike to push through legislation that allows him to run again in general elections this December. And at this weekend’s Summit of the Americas, US President Barack Obama will meet with Latin American presidents who may end up giving some economic advice to their troubled neighbor…
Election Exclusion in Haiti: Obama’s First Foreign Policy Disaster?
The Washington-based group the Haiti Priorities Project recently dispatched a team of 70 pollsters throughout Haiti. According to their findings, “Only 5 percent of potential voters nationwide say they are ready to go to the polls in order to elect 12 senators for the upcoming elections on April of this year.” In polling from several…
Human Body Parts
In Iraq, time leaves bloody marks upon each day of the ongoing US occupation. The policies of the Obama administration, adopted from the Bush administration, continue to wreak their havoc on the Iraqi people. BY DAHR JAMAIL Truthout INTERNATIONAL Posted by Bulatlat In Iraq, time leaves bloody marks upon each day of the ongoing US…
Arroyo Gov’t Destroying Peace, Causing Poverty in Mindanao – Solon
BY BULATLAT Posted 4:53 p.m., July 29, 2008 Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo admitted in her State of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday her government’s failure to alleviate poverty in Mindanao due to the ‘endless conflict in the island.’ But a congresswoman from Davao attributed poverty to the Arroyo government itself. In a statement, Gabriela Women’s Party…
Arroyo Cheating in Grabbing Credit for Lower Text Messaging – Consumer Group
BY BULATLAT Posted 4:38 p.m., July 29, 2008 Consumer group TXTPower is not at all happy about the 50-percent cost reduction of text messaging. In her State of the Nation Address yesterday, Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced that telecommunication companies have heeded her call to reduce the price of text messaging. The TXTPower called this cheating.…
GMA Can’t Boast of Progress, Solon Says at SONA Rally
BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO Bulatlat Posted 7:15 p.m., July 28, 2008 Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cannot make any realistic claim of progress today, a representative of the party-list group Bayan Muna (People First) said today at the rally against the State of the Nation Address (SONA). In his speech at the rally in Quezon City, just…
People’s Counter SONA Precedes Arroyo’s Speech
BY BULATLAT Posted 2:40 p.m. – July 28, 2008 Even before Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo delivers her state of the nation address (SONA), people’s organizations under the banner of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan- New Patriotic Alliance) presented what they called the People’s SONA. Speaking before the thousands of protesters, Dr. Carol Araullo, Bayan chairperson, said,…
(Ka)ramdam(an) ang Kaunlaran, SONA 2008
NI RICHARD R. GAPPI Inilathala ng Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 25, July 27-August 2, 2008 Bulsa ko ay ninakawan ng kamay ng Malacañang; butas-butas, walang laman ni pambili ng Alaxan sa sakit ng kalingkingang dama ng buong katawan. Mas mabuti pa si Pacman Bugbog-sarado ang yaman. (Bulatlat.com)
Ang Bugtong na Ina ng mga Sala
NI MYKEL ANDRADA Inilathala ng Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 25, July 27-August 2, 2008 Hayan na, hayan na di mo pa makita. Korner na, korner na, sipa pa, sipa pa! Baka ko sa Maynila, hanggang dito, dinig ang unga. Baka ko sa Malakanyang, hanggang Estados Unidos, dinig ang pag-“oo nga!” Ako ay may kaibigan, kasama…