PGMA Signs List of Holidays for ‘09

Malacañang has released this year’s list of holidays to guide the business sector and other institutions on planning their activities.

Based on Proclamation No. 1699 signed by President Gloria Macapagal - Arroyo last December 24, 2008, there are ten (10) long holidays for 2009.

This year’s regular holidays are:

    April 6 (the Monday nearest to April 9 which is Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor)
    April 9 (Maundy Thursday)
    April 10 (Good Friday)
    May 1 (Labor Day)
    June 12 (Independence Day)
    August 31 (National Heroes Day)
    November 30 (Bonifacio Day)
    December 25 (Christmas Day)
    December 30 (Rizal Day)

On the other hand, the following are special non-working holidays:

    August 21 (Ninoy Aquino Day)
    November 1 (All Saints Day)
    November 2 (additional special non-working day)
    December 24 (additional special non-working day)
    December 31 (last day of the year)

The date of Eid’l Fitr, the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which is declared as a national holiday, shall be determined by the Office of Muslim Affairs in accordance with the lunar calendar.

The long weekend and movement of holidays is in compliance with Republic Act 9492 or known as the Holiday Economics Law. It states that holidays that fall on a Wednesday will be observed on a Monday. If it falls on a Sunday, the holiday will be observed on a Monday.

Holiday economics was introduced by President Arroyo in 2001 as a way to allow Filipinos to spend more time with their families and a way to encourage domestic tourism.

With the early release of this year’s list of holidays, Makati Business Club Executive Director Alberto Lim said, in his interview with Philippine Daily Inquirer, that this would be beneficial to the local tourism industry, as families would be able to travel; and promote consumer spending which in turn, benefits the economy.

Meanwhile, Mr. Donald Dee, chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries said in the same interview that the early release would help them schedule their activities throughout the year. He adds that the long weekend may help firms improve productivity.

Trabaho.com. thanks its following sources:

Office of the President. Presidential Proclamation No. 1699 Declaring the Regular Holidays and the Special (Non-Working) Days for the Year 2009
http://www.ops.gov.ph/records/issuances-proc/Proc1699.pdf

Trinidad, Nadia, ABS-CBN News. Palace OKs 10 long holidays in 2009 (Posted January 7, 2009) Retrieved January 9, 2009 from
http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/01/07/09/palace-oks-10-long-holidays-2009

Philippine Information Agency. PGMA lays out holiday schedule for 2009 thru Proclamation 1699 (Posted January 8, 2009) Retrieved January 9, 2009 from
http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&sec=reader&rp=2&fi=p090108.htm&no=19&date=
Re-posted at
http://www.op.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17500&Itemid=1
http://www.gov.ph/news/?i=23238

Philippine Information Agency. Long holidays seen to boost domestic tourism (Posted January 9, 2009) Retrieved January 9, 2009 from
http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p090109.htm&no=57

Romero, A. D. B., BusinessWorld. 2009 holiday list issued by Palace (Posted January 9, 2009) Retrieved January 9, 2009 from
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW010909/content.php?id=005
Re-posted by GMA News.tv. (Malacañang issues list of 2009 holidays) at
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/143307/Malaca&ntildeang-issues-list-of-2009-holidays

Burgonio, TJ and Daxim Lucas, Philippine Daily Inquirer. Palace releases 2009 holiday calendar (Posted January 9, 2009) Retrieved January 9, 2009 from
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090109-182320/Palace-releases-2009-holiday-calendar

Office of the Press Secretary Website. Republic Act 9492
http://www.ops.gov.ph/records/ra_no9492.htm

Demand for Pinoy Welders High Abroad

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) announced that the demand for Filipino welders to work overseas is continuously rising.

According to TESDA Region I Director Washington Agustin, in his interview with GMA News, the demand comes from the ship building industry and manufacturers of industrial tanks such as LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) tanks.

To be eligible to work abroad, applicant should have accredited training or experience in shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW).

Meanwhile, Ms. Acela Quibrantar, President of Yangwha Human Resources Corporation, informed TESDA of the good employment prospects for welders trained under the President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo – Training for Work Scholarships (PGMA-TWSP) project.

Ms. Quibrantar added that her company, which deploys Filipino welders in the Middle East, has a total of 509 welder-scholar graduates of PGMA-TWSP project ready for deployment to their job principals in the Middle East, Korea, Australia and Canada.

The PGMA-TWSP project offers scholarships to fresh high school graduates and employed workers who seek for a career change.

Through the PGMA-TWSP, TESDA offers scholarships for SMAW and GMAW training. Recently, TESDA Director General Sec. Augusto Syjuco announced the approval of the training regulations for GTAW and has included it in the courses supported by the PGMA-TWSP project.

Trabaho.com. thanks its following sources:

GMA News. Filipino welders most sought-after workers – TESDA (Posted Dec. 23, 2008) Retrieved January 5, 2009 from
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/140867/Filipino-welders-most-sought-after-workers--Tesda

OFWAbroad.com Filipino Welders In-Demand Abroad (Posted December 24, 2008) Retrieved January 5, 2009 from
http://www.ofwguide.com/article_item-1048/Filipino_Welders_In-demand_Than_Other_Workers.html

OFWGuide.com Filipino Welders In-demand Than Other Workers (Posted December 20, 2008) Retrieved January 5, 2009 from
http://www.ofwguide.com/article_item.php?articleid=1048

TESDA News and Feature. High Demand for Welders Worldwide (Posted December 10, 2008) Retrieved January 5, 2009 from
http://www.tesda.gov.ph/page.asp?rootID=3&sID=246&pID=3

TESDA News and Feature. PGMA-Training for Work Scholarship Program Retrieved January 5, 2009 from
http://www.tesda.gov.ph/page.asp?rootID=9&sID=109&pID=9

Guillermo, Jemin B. More jobs await Filipinos abroad (Posted December 11, 2008) Retrieved January 5, 2009 from
http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p081211.htm&no=53

PGMA: 37,000 Jobs Available for Filipinos in Qatar

President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo announced at the Sheraton Doha Hotel and Resort during her three-day official visit in Doha, Qatar that beginning January of this year, 37,000 jobs await Filipinos in Qatar despite the global financial crisis.

The number of available jobs, according to the President, more than offsets the displacement of Filipino workers in other countries. In recent reports, over 1,000 OFW’s were laid off in Taiwan and went back to the country because of the global financial crisis and political turmoil.

The President stated that employers in Qatar and other Middle East countries prefer Filipino workers because of their diligence, trustworthiness, efficiency and skills. PGMA attributed the preference of Qatari employers for Filipinos to the “galing” [great ability] of the OFWs, adding that Filipino workers were well-liked by their employers.

“However, notwithstanding the continuing bright prospects for Filipino labor abroad, it’s always prudent to be prepared for the unexpected,” Pres. Arroyo said.

With the current economic slowdown, threatening thousands of OFWs working around the world, the government has released P250-million livelihood support fund for returning OFWs. The fund will be distributed through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) based on the guidelines to be set by the said government office. Displaced overseas workers may use the fund to engage in livelihood project, establish their business or to continue or pursue higher education and training.

Trabaho.com. thanks its following sources:

Office of the President. 37,000 job openings await Filipinos in Qatar (Posted December 14, 2008) Retrieved December 15, 2008 from
http://www.op.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15154&Itemid=2
Re-posted at Gov.Ph news at http://www.gov.ph/news/?i=23070

Samonte, Angelo S., Ben Arnold De Vera and Francis Earl A. Cueto. Manila Times Internet Edition. Qatar needs 37,000 OFWs (Posted December 15, 2008) Retrieved December 15, 2008 from
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/dec/15/yehey/top_stories/20081215top1.html

GMA News.tv In demand OFWs lauded by employers in Qatar (Posted December 15, 2008) Retrieved December 15, 2008 from
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/139454/In-demand-OFWs-lauded-by-employers-in-Qatar

Ubac, Michael Lim, Jerome Aning. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Qatar offers 37,000 jobs. (Posted December 15, 2008) Retrieved December 15, 2008 from
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081215-178009/Qatar-offers-37000-jobs

Pañares, Joyce Pangco with reports from Elaine R. Alanguilan. Manila Standard Today. 37,000 jobs await Filipinos in Qatar, Malacañang says. (Posted December 15, 2008) Retrieved December 15, 2008 from
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081215-178009/Qatar-offers-37000-jobs

Young Journalists Met Veterans at Inkblots 2008

Campus journalists, editors, advisers, and journalism educators from all over the country filled the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Thomas Aquinas Research Complex for the Inkblots 2008: the 10th UST National Journalism Fellowship held last October 20 to 22, 2008.

Organized by The Varsitarian, the Official Student Publication of UST and oldest Catholic campus paper in the country, Inkblots 2008 aims to mold aspiring writers through a series of journalism seminars and workshops from the country’s veteran journalists. Since 1998, the three-day workshop has integrated lectures on news, features, sports, opinion writing, book reviews, Catholic journalism, investigative journalism, broadcast journalism, cartooning, and campus paper management.

This year, the event gathered several respected journalists in the country which include Ces Drilon, host for ABS-CBN’s Evening News Program Bandila; Romeo Gacad, Agence France-Presse (AFP) chief photographer, and Pulitzer Prize nominee; Michael Coroza, PinoyPoets consultant and Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards recipient ; Sandra Aguinaldo, host for GMA-7’s I-Witness; and Arlyn Dela Cruz, Net-25 reporter.

The roster also included Nestor Cuartero, Philippine Panorama writer and Tempo entertainment editor; Vergel Santos, Chairman of Editorial Board of Business World; Felipe Salvoza III, Business World sub-editor; Quinito Henson, sports commentator and The Philippine Star columnist; Manuel ‘Manix’ Abrera, comic strip artist for Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI); Volt Contreras, PDI reporter and Catholic Mass Media Awards recipient for Best Investigative Report; Ruel de Vera, Associate Editor for the Sunday Inquirer Magazine; John Nery and Conrado de Quiros, PDI columnists; and Alice Colet-Villadolid, former New York Times correspondent.

To conclude the event, and mark the 10th anniversary of Inkblots, current Varsitarian editor-in-chief Anthony Divinagracia and adviser Lito Zulueta blew 10 candles on the Inkblots ‘birthday’ cake. Fireworks at the UST Football Field lit up the night. And finally, local rock bands 6cyclemind, Urbandub, and Hale performed at the UST Quadricentennial Square.

UK, US, Still Open for Filipino Nurses

United Kingdom and United States have opened its doors again to Filipino nurses.

In his interview with The Philippine Star, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Marianito Roque said that after a year, UK is again hiring Filipino nurses for their hospitals and retirement homes. “For a while there has been no vacancy for Filipino nurses in UK, but because of the aging population there, they realized they need our Filipino nurses to take care of them,” Sec. Roque adds.

On the other hand, several US-based recruitment agencies have announced that they will be hiring Filipino nurses come 2009 despite the economic crisis in the US.

According to Philip Leonard of St. Georges Recruitment International Inc., in his interview with Inquirer.net, representatives from the Cambridge Healthcare in Maryland will come to the Philippines and interview applicants to fill in 600 job vacancies for nurses and physical and occupational therapist.

Mr. Leonard adds that the demand for nurses is high such that selected qualified applicants can enjoy benefits such as relocation bonus, migration of spouse and children under 21, 36-hour work-week in 12-hour shifts, "lucrative" over-time pay, US standard benefits and options, and paid legal, licensing and testing fees. Interested applicants may apply at rhose@sgrii.com.

DOLE recently met with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to determine the situation of the nursing sector here in the Philippines. Both government agencies verified if there is a shortage or surplus of nurses in the country so that the government could initiate suitable solutions. Through this, the Secretary hopes that more Filipino nurses will be recruited to work abroad.

Trabaho.com. thanks its following sources:

Jaymalin, Mayen, The Philippine Star. UK reopens market for Filipino nurses (Posted December 4, 2008) Retrieved December 6, 2008 from
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=421088&publicationSubCategoryId=200
Re posted at Yahoo! Philippines News at
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/star/20081204/tph-pinoy-nurses-uk-541dfb4.html

Jaymalin, Mayen. The Philippine Star. UK re-opening door for nurses (Posted December 5, 2008) Retrieved December 6, 2008 from
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=421329&publicationSubCategoryId=204

Uy, Veronica. Inquirer.net US demand for Filipino nurses still high (Posted December 5, 2008) Retrieved December 6, 2008 from
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20081205-176345/US-demand-for-Filipino-nurses-still-high

Tech Enthusiasts Flocked SMX for COMDDAP Manila Expo 2008

Hundreds of information technology (I.T.) managers, programmers, software engineers, professors, students, and tech-savvy individuals filled the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City for the Computer Manufacturers, Distributors and Dealers Association of the Philippines (COMDDAP) Manila Expo 2008 held last December 4 – 7, 2008.

Now on its 40th year, this year’s theme, “Live I.T., Love I.T.”, reflects how I.T has changed the Filipino lifestyle and still, it continues to evolve in response to the growing consumer market. The event also presented to the market the latest technology and innovation in the different aspects of I.T. and served as a venue for consumers and businessmen to transact directly with suppliers and distributors.

Aside from seminars, conferences, and product demos, highlights of the event include the Great Projector Shoot-out, Robotics Obstacle Race, Google Earth Amazing Race, and the Original Pinoy Innovations, the latter occupied a major portion of the exhibit floor and provided a much-needed venue to showcase Filipino talent and inventions, which, according to COMDDAP, has not quite received their fair share of attention in the country.

COMDDAP is an association of the country's top information technology businesses. The association aims to “promote the sustainable development of the country's information technology industry through voluntary collaboration of its member companies”. Currently, it has 29 primary members and 14 associate members.