DAVAO CITY -- To prevent the possible spread of influenza caused by the AH1N1 virus in the region, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) is asking employers to maintain a clean work area and provide water, soap and household disinfectant in washrooms and toilets. Read on.
Ludenio Monson, a Mandaya farmer and leader of Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Boston (United Farmers of Boston), was shot at around 4:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday, a volunteer from the Solidarity Action Group for Indigenous Peoples (Sagip) told Davao Today in a text message.Monson was with a companion at the time of the incident. He told colleagues last month that he (Monson) was already a ?marked? man in his area. He said he got information that his name was in the military?s Order of Battle list and that he could be ?taken anytime.? He was among those strongly opposed to mining. Read on.
Ibon calls the 2.9 million jobless figures in the latest labor force survey an "underestimation." It did not include the number of discouraged jobseekers, or those who are willing to take up work from the labor force. Ibon's higher estimates aims to correct the unwarranted change in the official unemployment definition in April 2005, which conveniently removes discouraged jobseekers and those willing/not available to immediately take up work from the labor force and hence does not count them as officially unemployed even if they do not have jobs. Ibon estimates that some 2.5 % of the working age population 15 years and over should still be considered part of the labor force, which implies an additional 1.5 million jobless on top of the 2.9 million officially reported-- for a total of roughly 4.3 million jobless. The additional 2.5% is based on the estimated discrepancy in official and actual labor force participation rates in 2008. The number of jobless could be even much higher if, as is likely, labor force participation rates this year become bloated by even greater numbers of discouraged job-seekers.Read on
By GRACE S. UDDIN | Davao Today
