How healthy is the Philippine job market? Its condition has remained weak, and may have even deteriorated slightly, from where it was a year ago, according to the April 2012 Labor Force Survey (LFS) results. While the unemployment rate eased slightly to 6.9% this April from 7.2% a year ago, the overall quality of jobs...

Sso many news reports invite comment, or at least more than just passing notice, that I beg the reader’s indulgence for not resisting the impulse to put in my P1,000 worth (or whatever I am being paid for writing a column). Here goes...

So while the rest of the world is worrying about the likelihood of another global collapse, team Philippines is boasting of its mini-trophy, a good performance for one quarter. Perhaps a celebration is in order after a dismal economic record in 2011. Let it be. But the economic managers should quickly come to their senses....

How healthy is the Philippine job market? Its condition has remained weak, and may have even deteriorated slightly, from where it was a year ago, according to the April 2012 Labor Force Survey (LFS) results. While the unemployment rate eased slightly to 6.9% this April from 7.2% a year ago, the overall quality of jobs...

There are two market reforms that can bring us to the front ranks of high growth countries. These reforms concern, first, the attraction of private foreign capital in critical sectors of the economy and, second, the improvement of flexibility of the labor market to create greater employment.

Two decisions handed down this week—one by the Sandiganbayan (SB) on the Lucio Tan case (Civil Case 0005) and the other by the Supreme Court on the Commission on Elections-Smartmatic case—have very serious negative implications for the Filipino people. And, if the news reports on these are accurate, they are lousy as well.

There is universal outrage that Manny Pacquiao was robbed of his boxing championship. Even his opponent reportedly expressed surprise when he was declared the winner of the match.... Well, I’ve got news for you, folks. The Filipino people have just been robbed of something on the order of P200 billion, with not even the consolation...

On the important issues that affect the ordinary man on the street, there is a sharp rise in the Filipinos’ disapproval rating, and a significant drop in their approval rating, of the Aquino administration, according to Pulse Asia May 2012 survey results. Today the majority approval is down to three issues and they are not...

Public satisfaction with President Aquino has fallen dangerously fast, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey done in May 24-27. Compared to his "honeymoon" score in October 2010, almost two years ago, his net score was down 18 points to +42 (63% satisfied minus the 21% dissatisfied) from October 2010’s +60 (71% satisfied minus...