Philippine unemployment rate falls to 7 from 7.4%

MANILA, Philippines—The number of Filipinos without jobs settled at 2.814 million in 2011 when the labor force breached the 40-million mark, according to the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics.

BLES data show that with 40.005 million economically active Filipinos — those who are at least 15 years old and are available for work—the unemployment rate in 2011 averaged 7 percent, improving from 7.4 percent the previous year.

The difference represents a decrease of 45,000 from the 2.859 million jobless in 2010. BLES attributed the improvement to the growth in job creation out-pacing the growth in the labor force.

Job-generation grew faster in 2011 at 3.2 percent year-on-year with 1.156 million (exceeding the one-million target) added to the roster of the employed. In 2010, growth was pegged at 2.8 percent with 974,000 new jobs.

As for the unemployed, half or 1.4 million were aged 15-24 years. Also, three out of five of the jobless were men.

Compared to the national average, unemployment was higher in the National Capital Region (11.3 percent), Calabarzon (9.7 percent), and Central Luzon and Ilocandia (both at 8.5 percent).

According to the BLES, the growth in the size of the labor force went faster in 2011 with 1.1 million additions than in 2010 when one million joined.

“Correspondingly, the labor force participation rate (LFPR) was up to 64.6 percent from 64.1 percent” the previous year,” BLES said.

The LFPR takes into account the size of the labor force against the total number of working-age Filipinos or those 15 years and older.

In 2011, the working-age population was pegged at 61.88 million compared to 60.72 million in 2010.

“The increase in LFPR was higher among women than men. By age cohort, the increase was most pronounced among those aged 15-24 years,” the agency said.

On the other hand, participation was down among senior citizens.

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Miss World 2011 Crowned

Miss Venezuela, Ivian Sarcos, was crowned the 61st Miss World with Miss Philippines, Gwendoline Ruais as the 1st runner up and Miss Puerto Rico, Amanda Perez, the 2nd runner up.

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Government gets good environment ratings

MANILA, Philippines — Environment Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje says the positive marks on environmental issues received by President Aquino in an opinion survey will spur better performance by his department.

Paje’s statement came as the survey of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) on the third quarter performance of government showed that Aquino is doing well.

“We are happy with the positive rating given by the people on the government’s performance in-so-far as environmental issues are concerned. This could only mean that our efforts in various fronts of environmental protection and natural resources management are being felt and appreciated by the people. But at the same time, we are challenged to perform even more,” Paje said.

Of importance to both Aquino and Paje is the implementation of the National Greening Program (NGP), an unprecedented program that seeks to restore the integrity of forests and other areas stripped of trees and lush vegetation.

The PIA study primarily intended to assess the President’s performance as of the third quarter of this year on issues related to the economy, good governance, social development, justice and security, and climate change and environmental protection.

It was conducted from September 23 to 25 via face-to-face interviews with 1,262 respondents, representing 10 sectors from 64 provinces nationwide.

Specifically on environment, study results showed that the President scored a net rating of +32 on the issue of stopping abuse and destruction of the environment, +55 on improving the country’s preparedness for disasters, +42 on protecting endangered species and their natural habitat and +28 on cleaning and clearing natural waterways.

Earlier, the Social Weather Station (SWS) also reported a “very good” overall rating for the administration’s 3rd quarter performance based on its survey of 1,200 respondents conducted from September 4 to 7.

Paje stressed that even with the positive response of the public, his department will continue to level up its efforts to respond to public expectations.

“While the series of environmental disasters has somehow made our people become more aware on what could happen if we neglect our environment, I would like to also give credits to the advocacy that we have embarked in partnership with various sectors of our society,” he said.

The environment chief particularly cited the total log ban imposed on natural and residual forests, the NGP and the creation of the National Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force as important high-impact measures that the P-Noy administration has been spearheading.

“These three, along with our intensified actions against forestry law violators, address the issue of environmental protection, disaster preparation, and habitat conservation,” Paje said.

He also mentioned the geohazard maps made available by the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau to the different local government units (LGUs) as important tools in planning for and avoiding disasters in localities.

As for clean waterways, the DENR secretary said that one of the agency’s initiatives with the private sector and other government partners which is the “Adopt an Estero” program “has shown tangible proof to our stakeholders that cleaning up our waterways is indeed possible.”

To date, the agency has a total of 231 partners nationwide for the program, which aims to clean up or rehabilitate esteros and other waterways to prevent possible flooding.

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World's worst airport to sleep

Manila Airport in the Philippines has been voted as the worst in the world for 2011 by a popular travel website.

The airport tops a list compiled by The Guide to Sleeping in Airports based on user reviews from disgruntled travellers.

"The current government administration should hire a bulldozer and a ramming team and start tearing it apart," said one visitor to the site.

Another described it as "run by thieves and extortionists neatly dressed in uniforms."

Auckland Airport topped the 2011 poll for the South Pacific region's best airports to sleep in.

Sleeping in Airports encourages adventurous travellers to save money by spending the night in airports instead of hotels.

They compile annual lists of the best and worst airports for sleepovers, based on issues like safety, availability of comfortable seating and entertainment, and price and quality of food.

Manila does poorly in nearly all categories, with travellers reporting corrupt staff, filthy bathrooms, rampant scams and bribery, and a crowded, uncomfortable main terminal.

"Earlier this year, some bad press regarding the state of the airport made airport officials promise to clean its Terminal 1 toilets and provide running water and soap," the site's review said.

"Imagine.... they actually had to 'promise' to offer this!"

Sleeping in this airport is not recommended.

Other airports on the Worst list include Paris Beauvais in France and Keflavik in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The best airport for 2011 is Singapore Changi, followed by Hong Kong and Seoul Incheon. 

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One Million jobs still available in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said Wednesday that over one million jobs are still available in Government Job Fairs nationwide.

Earlier, about 800,000 jobseekers were hired after they applied for job vacancies offered at the government job fairs organized by the Public Employment Service Offices (PESO).

Citing an initial report from the Bureau of Local Employment (BLE), Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said about 500,000 of these applicants were hired by the private sector, while the remaining 300,000 were hired for government service.

BLE Director Criselda Sy said the PESO, in cooperation with private firms, earlier held 1,179 job fairs nationwide.

“All in all, the PESOs solicited 2,050,411 job vacancies that were made available to 1,299,270 job seekers,” Sy said.

Job fairs held in the National Capital Region (NCR) had the highest number of participants with 151,000 applicants; followed by Region 4-A – 112,000 applicants; Region 7 – 54,100; Region 3 – 37,000; and Region 11 – 30,000.

These job fairs are in line with President Benigno S. Aquino III’s directive to DoLE to intensify its job facilitation program.

“The importance of the PESOs is particularly highlighted by the agenda of President Aquino to address the labor-mismatch problem by promoting better coordination between employers, academia, and the government,” Baldoz said.

Meanwhile, Baldoz also released the third quarter report for DoLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), where about 60,000 disadvantaged workers received a total of P222 million worth of tools and training to start their own businesses.

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Oil companies warn against gov’t intervention

MAJOR OIL companies warned the government against intervention because of higher subsidies and fuel cost. Other oil companies are also enjoined to open their financial books to the public.

The Philippine Institute of Petroleum (PIP) said in a press conference yesterday there are a lot of investments involved in running a refinery but noted it will not stand in the way if the government wants to enter the Oil Industry again.

“The essence of deregulation is meant to make prices more competitive and to provide more choices for the consumers,” said Roberto S. Kanapi, vice-president of communications of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp.

“In fact, prices could be higher if we used the same formula when the market was regulated.”

He added several countries who subsidize oil prices are now pulling back because of the high cost for the government. PIP member Petron corp. earlier offered its Bataan refinery for repurchase by the government “if it [government] believes it will help stabilize prices.” The firm also offered to sell back its retail stations if requested by the government. The group said it cannot second-guess the ability of the government but reiterated the need to keep the oil market deregulated.

“It really depends on what the government wants to do. We should have a mix of both importers and local refiners to keep inventory high. But of course refineries mean a lot of investments to keep it running,” said Sally C. Monteiro, executive director of the PIP. PIP earlier announced it is willing to allow the public to peruse oil companies’ financial records in support of the government’s call for transparency in the oil industry. The PIP member companies, Shell, Petron Corp., Chevron Philippines, Inc., Total (Philippines) Corp., Liquigaz Philippines Corp. and PTT Philippines Corp., said other oil companies should do the same.

“While we all file financial reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission, we want to tell the public that financial documents are available and they are welcome to peruse it,” said Charmaine V. Canillas, Public Affairs manager of Petron.

“We hope other oil players also do so,” she added. PIP wants relevant financial data to be gathered so the public can understand the oil industry.
It also said any review of the Oil Deregulation Law must include members from many sectors of society. The government is in the process of determining if it will review and recommend amendments to the Oil Deregulation Law.

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Philippine Airlines struggles to regain share

MANILA--Flagship carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has been struggling ever since it was pulled from the brink of collapse 12 years ago.

A raging dogfight with a rival local budget carrier — Cebu Pacific — over market share, labor disputes and a downgrade to the country's air safety ratings have buffeted Asia's oldest national airline.

What's more, the government's efforts to introduce “open skies” for foreign carriers to airports outside Manila — a move aimed at boosting tourism — will be a future challenge for PAL, if it takes off.

PAL, privately owned since local taipan Lucio Tan bought it from the government in 1993, is now going through its biggest restructuring in over a decade. Starting this month, it is outsourcing its airport services, catering and call center operations. This comes at the cost of 2,400 jobs, or a third of the work force. PAL executives say the cuts were a matter of life and death for the carrier.

Analysts say the outsourcing will take a weight off PAL. The legacy airline, noted CLSA Philippines senior research analyst Leo Venezuela, is “saddled with a high cost base.”

Deep cuts were made during the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, when a debt-laden PAL laid off a third of its 14,000 staff, ditched routes, and sold off part of its fleet to avoid going under. PAL was then placed under receivership until 2007.

But the latest cutbacks alone are unlikely to revive PAL. For that to happen, say industry watchers, it needs to better compete with low-cost carriers at home, and get more out of its global routes.

After losses totaling US$312 million in 2008 and 2009, PAL turned a profit of US$72.5 million last year. But it was in the red again in the first quarter of its current financial year because of high fuel prices and competition from budget carriers.

“We are challenged by them,” said spokesman Cielo Villaluna. “But we have our niche as the only full-service, legacy carrier and we're dealing with the competition.”

Main rival Cebu Pacific, a budget airline controlled by the Gokongwei family, unseated PAL as No. 1 carrier on domestic flights early last year. By the second quarter of this year, Cebu Pacific had a 44.6 percent share of the domestic market while PAL had 23.7 percent, according to independent data.

In a move Mr. Venezuela called a “good strategy,” PAL indicated last week it may focus on full-service international flights, and let its own low-cost carrier, Airphil Express, take on more domestic routes to boost its current 18.6 percent share of that market.

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