The JPEPA deprives the Philippines of vital economic policy tools it would need in its future development.. BY IBON FOUNDATION Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 28, August 19-25 As the Senate prepares to conduct hearings on the ratification of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), an independent think-tank called for the junking of the…
Janess Ann J. Ellao
Strict Requirements in JPEPA Belie Gov’t Claim of Huge Labor Market for RP Nurses in Japan
BY IBON FOUNDATION Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 28, August 19-25, 2007 Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon recently made a pitch for the Senate ratification of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), saying that Japan’s aging population represents a large labor market for local nurses and caregivers. But according to independent think-tank IBON…
Tales from the Peripheries: The Plight of UP’s Research, Extension and Professional Staff
They are the university’s guidance counselors, librarians, technical specialists, extension workers and researchers, who are also at the forefront of developing and producing notable researches. BY JOHN ALLIAGE MORALES Philippine Collegian Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 28, August 19-25, 2007 They are the university’s guidance counselors, librarians, technical specialists, extension workers and researchers, who…
Students, Teachers Oppose GMA’s Cyber Ed
Saying that expensive technology is not the solution to the decline in the quality of education in the country, teacher and student groups called for the scrapping of the DepEd’s Cyber Education Project. BY VICTOR GREGOR LIMON Philippine Collegian Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 28, August 19-25, 2007 Saying that expensive technology is not…
Ghost of 2004
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano must have heaved a sigh of relief when last May’s senatorial and local elections pushed through, thinking that with the polls the so-called “Hello Garci” issue would be swept under the rug and finally laid to rest. But ghosts like that do not…
National Dance
Grade schoolers in La Union perform the tinikling, the Philippine national dance. The tinikling is at risk of vanishing with the inroads of dances popularized by Hollywood celebrities and their local imitators. Its being in danger of dying out is part of the Philippines’ overall deculturization through inundation of Western influences. But there are still…
‘New’ Kadayawan Goes Back to Its Tribal Roots
As the city announced a shift in the way the annual Kadayawan Festival is celebrated — that is, for one, showcasing Lumad culture and tradition not for tourism’s sake — tribal leaders remain concerned that the festivities hardly depict the struggle of Mindanao’s indigenous peoples to pursue their unique way of life and retain control…
Activists Rally in Makati to Protest Sison’s Arrest
BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO Bulatlat August 29, 2007 – 2:27pm MAKATI CITY — About a hundred activists belonging to various organizations under the banner of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan or New Patriotic Alliance) rallied here earlier today to protest the arrest of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) chief political consultant and International…
Remembering Tony Zumel
Antonio “Tony” Zumel – journalist and revolutionary leader – would have turned 75 last Aug. 10. Aug. 13, 2007 marks his sixth death anniversary. BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 27, August 12-18, 2007 Antonio “Tony” Zumel – journalist and revolutionary leader – would have turned 75 last Aug. 10. Aug. 13, 2007…
SM Construction on Harrison Road Violates Public Land Act
A fact-finding committee created by the Baguio City Council has disclosed anomalies in the on-going construction of the SM Mall along Harrison Road, in front of Sunshine Park in the said city. BY ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW Northern Dispatch Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 27, August 12-18, 2007 BAGUIO CITY (246 kms. north of Manila)…
The Pretenders: Revealing the Intentions Behind Corporate Social Responsibility
The director of a corporate foundation said, it would be “naïve” to expect “profit-oriented entities” such as businesses to do charitable work in secrecy. “Only saints do their work anonymously and only saints do not have cost-benefit ratios.” Companies spend huge sums of money on grandiose, often tearjerkers of advertisements, principally aimed at publicizing its…