In today’s news, President on the defensive in Europe on human rights issues; Amnesty objects to Palparan and so Palace may backpedal on his appointment; meanwhile, the Melo Commission has no funding.
Meanwhile, the House catches military spies filming a human rights committee hearing (I have seen military men in civilian clothing documenting, with video cameras, gatherings of the opposition, particularly public protests); Senate calls for Bolante to be extradited and the arrest of the PCGG.
Board of Nursing positions can’t be filled.
Comelec drops bid for automated poll machines.
Government to take over NAIA3: about time! One of the most depressing things has been to see the facility just rotting away, useless (as OFW in Hong Kong says, it’s a symbol of Philippine inefficiency -and perhaps, the ability of people like Lucio Tan to get what they want, regardless?).
The most interesting story in recent days is this one, from the Philippine Star (does anyone know if they finally have permanent links? If so, I can start linking to the paper on line again):
DOLE: “Hard-to-fill” jobs growing
The Philippine Star 09/11/2006
Hiring a worker seems to be getting as difficult as finding a job.
Records from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) showed there is a steadily increasing number of job vacancies as well as workers seeking employment over the past three years.
Based on the DOLE data, a total of 1.3 million job vacancies nationwide were posted in 2004, up from 1.2 million unfilled positions in 2003. This figure rose to 1.37 million last year.
A total of 1.23 million job applicants registered with the DOLE-Public Employment Offices nationwide in 2003. The number of jobseekers dropped slightly to 1.13 million in 2004 and rose again to 1.14 million in 2005.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) secretary general Augusto Syjuco said that while there are many job openings, there are not many workers who possess the competencies required to fill these positions.
Syjuco said college-degree courses produce some 350,000 graduates annually and only 20 percent of these graduates find jobs, while vocational training courses produce 1.3 million graduates and the graduates from vocational courses enjoy a 60-percent employment rate.
He also said these figures suggest that employers prefer to hire skilled vocational training graduates over college graduates, who may not have the skills and competencies needed to fill the job openings available.
“The problem lies in the so-called job mismatch, which we in the education and training sector must address quickly,” Syjuco said.
He said the government is now implementing the “ladderized” education program that aims to enable young Filipinos to complete their college education after undergoing vocational training.
Syjuco said that close to 100 institutions nationwide are now offering ladderized education and more schools are expected to provide the same program soon. - Mayen Jaymalin
The story points to something business owners have been complaining about for some time. Even if they have jobs available, it’s increasingly difficult to fill those jobs with qualified people.
Most pathetic government propaganda headline of the month: Nokia CEO calls on PGMA, confirms RP tag as Text Capital of the World
In Newsbreak: the president’s health and Petron’s wrestling with corporate social responsibility.
One of my fave columnists, Gail Ilagan, launches a book.
Thaksin doesn’t think a coup will take place.
In the punditocracy, Juan Mercado reveals that Mike Defensor organized a summit of third termers to convince them to support the scrapping of the 2007 elections.
Filipino-American Isabel Ball says government service is deteriorating in places where offices are staffed by Filipinos and Mexicans -because they tend to display the traits that made people like her want to emigrate to America in the first place.
Read why Chicago is so corrupt.
In the blogosphere, ExpecoRants disagrees with columnists.
Iloilo City Boy frets that media will soon forget the MT Solar oil spill; he recalls a recent discussion with an Australian willing to do his bit.
blurry brain reminds people that Joseph Stiglitz is not anti-globalization, but rather, wants effective globalization. In an earlier entry, he says before anyone comments on the Philippines-Japan Free Trade pact, can anyone say they’ve read the provisions? And he suggests the questions that need to be asked -by the Senate.
Ang Tambayan ni Paeng makes observations about the culture of cheating.
Philippine Politics 04 lists what he says were more reasonable proposals to amend the Constitution.
big mango explains open source software and why it should be promoted.
purple phoenix is confident Allan Peter Cayetano won’t be expelled from the House.
Overseas, Taiwan president may survive People Power (My Liberal Times thinks so, too). See Bunker Chronicles on how the situation in Taipei somewhat resembles Manila. Taiwan Matters thinks the Western media has it wrong.
Jeff Ooey in KL takes a look at Mahathir Mohamad’s political woes. I love the ongoing Mahathir drama, because many in the ruling coalition frankly look to Malaysia’s ruling party as a model for governance!
Singapore Election Watch on official lies.
Sheila Coronel becomes an OFW. She will be terribly missed.
Technorati Tags: Blogging, constitution, journalism, media, military, people’s initiative, philippines, politics, president
I just visited DOLE’s website hoping to find a list of vacancies that they say are hard to fill up. I did not find any. In this area alone, they are unimaginative. My advice to DOLE: Put up a list of these vacancies, where they are, what companies etc.. That might just convince more young people to go vocational. Kasi kung salita lang na maraming vacancies, parang drowing lang…
Isabel Ball is BACK? I remember this woman creating quite an ugly stir when she posted very racist comments (complete with unforgivable purple prose) in the Flips email thread. She seems to be the very definition of Fanon’s black skin + white mask monster — which is scary.
By the way, I’ve posted the 2006 Palanca-winning works over at http://www.geocities.com/phil_literatura/literatura12. Yes, I’m back. After more than two years of not updating the website, Survey of Philippine Literature is back. 🙂
Isabel Ball is definitely giving Michele Malkin a run for her money.
now why would they do that? and can we openly videotape the military? or administration allies and officials in their rallies and other provincial trips too?
of course they can. kung pwedeng mag-wire tap ng admin at opposition officials, pwedeng mag-video tape.
While many Filipinos in the U.S. are caring and generous, it is also true that there are many like Isabel Ball. I don’t know why, but there is a latent racist streak in many of them and it is usually directed at their own, to blacks, to Muslims and to Hispanics. They don’t really like other Asians, like the Koreans and Japanese, either. But, because these other Asians are generally hardworking and upwardly mobile, most Fil-Ams have a grudging respect for them.
These Filipinos are particularly jealous about recent Filipino arrivals, especially the illegal ones. Because they went there earlier (and are now probably legal), they feel a sense of superiority and entitlement, This can be observed when Isabel Ball states that “since immigrating into the U.S., legally, I was exposed to quality public service that I’ve never known existed, having been from a third world countryâ€Â. One can feel her resentment of immigrants, including Filipinos like herself, when she says: “Already, 5% of the U.S. population is that of illegal immigrants. Mathematically, the number can multiply with the efficiency of the proverbial “multiplying like rabbits.†It is reported that the present wave of immigration into the U.S. is the highest in 150 years.†If Isabel Ball had her way, she would shut the door to immigration and even turn over her fellow Filipinos to the INS, before they multiply “like rabbitsâ€Â.
Although I have observed this latent jealousy and resentment for their own kind among a good number of Filipinos in the U.S., they are generally circumspect about it and only manifest this in unguarded moments. The audacity of Isabel Ball’s racism takes the cake. Utterly despicable statements, dripping in sycophancy, like “America is best served, and rightfully so, only by those with direct lineage to the pioneering immigrants of the Mayflowerâ€Â, should make even legitimate descendants from the Mayflower cringe in embarrassment. I wonder where Isabel Ball traces her lineage to?
NO-EL? That’s a great idea! Dapat wala nang elections, para tipid sa pera.
“One of my fave columnists, Gail Ilagan, launches a book.”
and who are the other four, manuel? just curious.
“America is best served, and rightfully so, only by those with direct lineage to the pioneering immigrants of the Mayflower.” – Isabel P. Ball
I love it. It’s the toadiest, most baduy Fil-am line I’ve come across in a long time . It also reminded me of Dave Chappele’s skit about the blind negro who thought he was white. I wonder what her surname was before she became a Ball.
isabel ball: first time i’ve read her. is she for real?
i’ve never heard of isabel ball before.
“This incident shows that high military officials are getting to be more arrogant in subverting civilian supremacy by snubbing a House probe on extrajudicial killings, on the one hand, and sending covert agents, on the other, to spy on the investigation,†said Bayan Muna Rep. Joel Virador.
ayan. kasi. tuwing may gustong patumbahing presidente, di kayo magkandaugagang manligaw sa militar para mag withdraw ng suporta. kaya lumalaki ulo ng mga yan. alam nilang kahit gaano sila ka angas ngayon, meron pa rin silang alas – at kakailanganin nyo pa rin sila.
it’s like frankenstein’s monster, ya’know. you create a beast you can’t control, you gotta expect to pay for your folly.
mlq3,
“The problem lies in the so-called job mismatch, which we in the education and training sector must address quickly,†Syjuco said
But why is there the so-called job mismatch?
It is a result of a lack of a long-term development plan due to lack of vision or worse a bad plan due to blind subservience to foreign interests. If the right priorities are set, other matters fall into place; otherwise, everything falls out of place, like the so-called job mismatch. This narrow-minded approach of treating the symptoms instead of its causes is futile, escapist, deceptive.
GMA is a blinded globalization agent. She has a track record for implementing policies disastrrous to local industries. Should we wonder why we have this unemployment problem?
‘The so-called job mismatch’ is an economic indicator that points at The so-called Job Mismatch at Malacanang — the ‘economist’ occupying the position of the President, is not fit for the job! Solution for the problems of job mismatches? First: Fire(?) Kick GMA out of the Malacanang!
isabel ball is in today’s round-up
When the President announced the c-ration of the Melo commission, she strongly emphasized that the panel will have the mandate to leave ‘no stones’ unturned. Now there is not even specific funding for the commission, which in turn may not be able to turn a single ‘leaf’, but maybe an early excuse for not being able to. Turning, turning back to square one.
Antonio, you’re cherry picking. Arroyo is the one who has been aggressive in courting the military with her ‘all out war’ package. The opposition, on the other hand, just wants the military to come clean with what they know and do what logically follows.
MBC, regarding the maiden name; that was naughty but very very nicely done.
Too bad about Madame Coronel. She will be missed but she will undoubtedly do us proud.
what did gma intend to do, report to the european union about her success in the fight against terror? did her staff not brief her on the sentiments of that side of the world with regard to the bully tactics of dubya?
i could not help saying “wow” to my self when i saw and heard her. the footage opens with a distant view of gma in clothes that try to make her fit in the libertarian crowd. what a hoax! from somewhere, someone blows her cover by asking about the political killings. the other leaders then created spaces between her and them. and nobody talked to the pariah anymore. parang may party tapos umutot siya na may sound. she certainly had nothing to say. she was unprepared. just look at whom she brought with her for the job, norberto gago. here is a man who is supposed to be the tough cookie in charge of our national security (but cracks under a mere senate inquiry).
mr.gago’s stlye of diplomacy had some success in dealing with the americans: report on those who are perceived threats to the administration, as most of these usual suspects are resentful of uncle sam anyway. of course, washington should not be expected to believe the lies of malacanang. the purpose of such exchanges is merely to settle that we are on the same side of the divide. never mind the real score. the pitfall, in which gma and mr. gago has fallen, is when false laurels are bestowed upon the clowns of government, thinking that it was good marketing that swayed the americans to give the thumbs up to the administration (to actually think that we fooled them). as crafty people with no scrupples, this administration should know that the americans already have personnel all over the world to know the real score.
is there really no one else with more sophistication?
tama ka, cvj. this all-out war bs is a means of winning over the military. ‘la tayong disagreement diyan. e kaso, anung tawag mo sa patuloy na paghikayat sa militar na tumiwalag kay arroyo? especially with the sub-text na no ouster can happen without the support of the military. Ikaw kaya, paulit-ulit na sabihan na kung hindi ka kasali, siguradong matatalo ang team nyo sa basketball (or soccer, or whatever), hindi kaya lumobo din ang ulo mo? hindi ka rin kaya maging prima-donna?
sige na, hindi ko na kokontrahin ang motibo ng oposisyon, pero, sa totoo lang pare, hindi ba’t kahit ano pa ang motibo nila, ay ganun pa rin ang kinalabasan? mayabang pa rin ang militar.
of course, if you want to blame only gma, ok rin sa akin yun. pero mas ok sa akin ang paniniwalang lahat ng panig ay mayroong pananagutan sa pagiging sobrang angas ng militar, especially in the way they deal with congress.
that brilliant woman, sheila coronel, is nothing short of amazing. priceless talents such as hers are even more needed here at home, but her leaving will surely enrich quite a rare, already exemplary command of investigative journalism. kudos, kudos.
antonio, you have a good point.
thanks cvj.
And also why the U.S. is so Great. She never let an exemplary talent and intelegence pass her by. Again she took the Gem of Philippines Journalism to add to her already abundance of such. She reaps what others sow and in an instant. I can only wish that Ms Coronel will sometimes visit her home country in the best way she does, the printed words of her gifts. thanks Sheila and hope to bump you somewhere in new york even just to shake your hands.
“America is best served..only by those with direct lineage to the pioneering immigrants of the Mayflower” !!
Ms. Bell or whatever her name is, should take a second look in the mirror and should realize that inspite of her dyed blonde hair, she still cannot pass for a caucasian, let alone as a direct descendant of the Mayflower.
America is richer, more progressive, and more dynamic today because of its immigrants. And their parents did not embark from the Mayflower. Where would America be without Albert Einstein, I.M. Pei, Yoyo Ma, Zubin Mehta, An Wang, Nvidia founder Huang, Jerry Yang (co-founder of Yahoo), Arthur Rubenstein, Deepak Chopra, Henry Kissinger, Arnold Schwarsnegger.. Or sons & daughters of immigrants who never boarded the Mayflower: John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Dwight Eisenhower, Ben Franklin, Barry Manilow, Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra, Bert Bacharach, Bob Dylan, Kristi Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan, and the list goes on and on. Every time she sees a movie or watches television she better thank all those Jewish immigrants who made Hollywood into a reality. Every time she hums a tune she better make sure it was not a ditty by Irving Berlin or George Gershwin. America would not have its yo-yo without the Filipino immigrant who sold it to Duncan, nor the Parker ink invented by the Filipino Quisumbing. Asian Americans today are the largest minority in colleges and universities, and score higher than any group, including white Americans, in college admissions tests.
If she thinks America will be better served by the Mayflower descendants, then she should pack up and go back whereever she came from.
Re: sheila
Precisely, some of us leave not because we give up the philippines. sometimes there are opportunities that can not be declined.
The passport is our skills, our academic background our work experience.
Some people may comment again how these talented people leave the country and allow other country to benefit from their know-how.
HELLLOWWWW. This is not a one way traffic where the host foreign ountry benefit from the expertise of the Filipinos alone. They learn, the Filipino expats also learn.
re:Isabel ball
Never heard in California. She had an article explaining why her book of unparalleled in story and magnitude did not take off while according to her “the lackluster bookof Dan Brown made him rich due to intense marketing. Ano ba ang libro niya?
Husme, naman, article lang niya wala ng bumasa, libro pa kaya when she is never heard. Don’t know. May be I missed her name along with Ben Pimentel, Poblete, Rodil Rodis, Greg Macabenta and the likes.
Colorado, thirty years ago? Kahit nga ngayon, di nila alam how a Filipino looked like.
Efficiency of government service? Sa Social Security lang I had already bloody encounter with the personnel, one for missing my application, the first time, I applied and second for not acquiscing to my request for a change of name. Read pinaysaamerika ko. (shameless plugging).
Got a friend who retired, only to find out that he was a “female” in her SS records.
That’s pne thing I hate with fellow Filipinas who marry foreigners. NAgiging racist just to please the hubby. Not me.
the philippine star’s archives have been advertised as “will be available soon” for many years, and it has been apologizing for “the delay” for just as long. could it be that star’s stories aren’t particularly worth preserving? or are they just too lazy?
someone there has to wake up. if they bother to look at online citations, they might realize why newspapers with smaller print runs are read by more people online.
antonio said:
“it’s like frankenstein’s monster, ya’know. you create a beast you can’t control, you gotta expect to pay for your folly.”
we’ve created many of them at the height of edsa 2.
Isabel Ball is another example of the rule : Never underestimate the ability of incompetent people to say outrageous remarks.
Or this one: (In op-ed articles and especially in the blogworld) Illogical sentences display the rule , not the exception.
Folks interested in the Isabel Ball article, click here;
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=13449
Regarding ISABEL BALL’s article stereotyping Filipinos and Hispanics, what she wrote is not acceptable.
We should not ignore and allow ISABEL BALL bash our people and our culture and use this agenda as her meal ticket to respectability among America’s far right.
I like to encourage the Philippine government to put ISABEL BALL on the undesirable alien list – if there is none, make one – and let’s make sure to deport her back should ISABEL BALL ever attempt to visit our motherland.