Only in the Philippines!

Philippine labor is not among the cheapest in Asia and the Pacific, and is even among the most expensive in Southeast Asia, next only to Singapore, data from the National Wages and Productivity Commission showed.

Data from the policymaking commission, an agency under the Department of Labor and Employment, showed the Philippines placing seventh in a ranking of 13 economies in the region, in terms of having the lowest minimum wage.

Workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) earn a daily minimum wage of P382 or $8.09.

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Without Chiz and Noli, Villar gains 7%, Erap up 4%
MANILA, Philippines - A BusinessWorld-Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Tuesday has come up with similar findings as the Pulse Asia polls which showed Senator Manny Villar and Joseph Estrada gaining significant points in the presidential race, although frontrunner Sen. Benigno Aquino III still has a big lead with 5 months left before the elections.

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NEW YORK (AP) – US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has been named Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 2009.

Bernanke, 56, heads the most important and least understood force shaping the American – and global –economy.

In the same magazine issue, Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao was included in the list of “people who mattered” in 2009, being listed behind US President Barack Obama and ahead of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Those green bills featuring dead Presidents are labeled federal reserve note for a reason: the Fed controls the money supply. It is an independent government agency that conducts monetary policy, which means it sets short-term interest rates — which means it has immense influence over inflation, unemployment, the strength of the dollar and the strength of your wallet, Time said.

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SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao (MindaNews/11 December) --  The Office of the Provincial Governor of the country’s second poorest province on the third floor of this peach and pink palatial building with an “ala CCP” driveway that leads to the second floor,  has three living room sets, a conference table for 16, a huge executive desk with a leather swivel for the governor and leather chairs for guests, a toilet exclusively for the governor’s use, a center table for flowers  and a door that leads to a room with a bed (and a refrigerator with several bottles of softdrinks), that  leads to an alley where you can find to your left, a  bathroom with a Jacuzzi whirlpool tub.

Going up to the third floor. Left to the Governor's Offfice. MindaNews photo by Carolyn O. Arguillas







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MANILA, Philippines - One in two Filipino adults is dissatisfied with the performance of the Arroyo administration, bringing its new net satisfaction rating to -20, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in its recent survey.

The Third Quarter 2009 Social Weather Survey found 30 percent of adults satisfied and 50 percent are dissatisfied with the overall performance of the national administration, for a “poor” net satisfaction rating of -20.

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MANILA, Philippines - Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno assured the people that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) continues to enjoy its autonomy despite the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao.

Puno said ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, who was arrested along with eight other relatives for rebellion, was replaced by his lawful successor ARMM Vice Gov. Ansaruddin Adiong.

“To date the regional governor continues to take charge of the entire autonomous region. Whatever supervision is exercised over autonomous region has to be exercised through the regional governor,” Puno said during a forum.

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MANILA - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo officially declared martial law in the province of Maguindanao on Saturday morning.

In a press conference past 7 a.m, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced Proclamation No. 1959 declaring a state of martial law and suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the province of Maguindanao, except for certain areas identified as bailiwicks of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) separatists.

The declaration of martial law will lead to the arrests without warrants of other members of the Ampatuan family who have been linked to the November 23 massacre of 57 innocent civilians.

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MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 2) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo filed her certificate of candidacy for the congressional seat in Pampanga’s 2nd district on Tuesday, according to television reports.

Arroyo, clad in an aquamarine pants and blouse, arrived at the Commission on Elections office in Pampanga province past 10 a.m.Footage showed her with husband, First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, at the Comelec office.

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