February is National Arts Month

In celebration of February as National Arts Month, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 683 issued in 1991, the government is holding a month-long cultural celebration, the Philippine Arts Festival (PAF), with the theme “Tradisyon at Inobasyon” (Tradition and Innovation). There will be workshops, exhibits, seminars, and performances, with renowned local and foreign artists taking part in the activities. Events and activities are led by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

There are seven arts activities for the PAF. These are: Taboan, a literary arts festival; the First Asian Festival of Gongs and Bamboo Music; the Tanghal dramatic arts; Philippine International Visual Arts Festival: The Rizal Experience; Cinema Rehiyon; Architecture; and Sayaw Pinoy.

Sayaw Pinoy 2012, the longest running national dance tour now on its 9th year, is being staged in the National Capital Region, and in various venues in Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. On February 3-4, 2012, the NCCA, the prime agency for arts and culture, brings the country’s top dance companies from Manila and emerging groups from the regions, to Davao City. The dance tour aims to reach the grassroots to discover new talents and to connect to more Filipino dance artists.

On February 20-24, 2012. The NCCA will bring the PAF to typhoon-stricken Cagayan de Oro City. The aim is to help in the healing process for survivors through music and dance. The gongs and bamboo music festival will be held in Baguio and Iloilo on February 25-28, 2012.

We congratulate the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, headed by Chairman Felipe M. de Leon Jr., its Board of Commissioners, officials and employees, on the occasion of National Arts Month in February, 2012. We wish them all the best and success in all endeavors. MABUHAY!

Unemployment in the Philippines eases to 7 percent in 2011

At least 2.8 million Filipinos, or 7 percent of the population 15 years old and over, were unemployed in 2011, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said in its Labor Force Survey on Wednesday.

According to the survey, the unemployment rate in 2011 was lower by 0.3 percent compared to the 7.3-percent unemployment rate in 2010.

It added that 63 percent of the total unemployed were males of which 45 percent reached high school; 42 percent attained college education; and 12.6 percent attained at the most an elementary level education.

Meanwhile, the survey also revealed that at least 40 million Filipinos were in the labor force or were economically active in 2011.

It noted that the 2011 annual labor force participation rate (LFPR) was higher by 1.2 million compared to the 39 million LFPR in 2010.

By region, the survey showed that Mimaropa (Region 4b) and Northern Mindanao registered the highest annual LFPR both at 70 percent, while the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao recorded the lowest at 55.6 percent.

In terms of level, the survey said that the total employed population in 2011 was estimated at 37.2 million persons. More than half, or 52.2 percent were engaged in the services sector; 33 percent were in agriculture; and 14.9 percent were in the industry sector.

It added that among the various occupation groups, the laborers and unskilled workers emerged as the largest group, or 32.6 percent. This was followed by farmers, forestry workers and fishermen with 15.4 percent; officials of the government and special interest organizations, corporate executives, managers, managing proprietors and supervisors with 14 percent; and service workers and shop and market sales workers with 11.1 percent. The rest of the occupation groups each comprised less than 10 percent, ranging from 0.4 percent to 7.4 percent.

The majority of the employed persons were wage and salary workers or 55.2 percent, the survey noted.

Moreover, the survey said that the annual underemployment rate in 2011 reached 19.3 percent or 7.2 million underemployed persons.

“The underemployed workers are employed persons who express the desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer working hours,” the NSO explained.

BY MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO

Paying bus drivers based on commission to be abolished?

Malacanang on Thursday welcomed an order of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) that abolishes the system of paying bus drivers and conductors on a commission basis.

“We hope that this new policy will address the longstanding concern of bus drivers, conductors, and passengers alike. We believe that this system is fairer to the bus drivers because it guarantees them a better wage,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has issued Department Order 118-12 that abolishes the bus boundary system in a bid to improve the income of bus drivers and conductors.

“Bus drivers and conductors are to be placed on a part-fixed and part performance-based wage system,” said Valte.

“The fixed component of their earnings at a minimum shall meet the minimum wage and other statutory wage-related benefits, while an incentive system, based on safety performance, business performance, and other related parameters is also hereby adopted,” she added.

The new system took effect in Metro Manila on Wednesday (February 1). It will take effect throughout the country by July 2012.

Valte said the policy should also improve traffic discipline, which will redound to the benefit of the commuters and motorists.

By Jill Beltran

Mayweather to fight Cotto in May, Not Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather will step back up in weight to fight Miguel Cotto for his WBA light-middleweight title on 5 May at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The fight ends speculation that Mayweather would fight Manny Pacquiao in a super-fight in May.

"It will be a challenge for me to compete with him at this weight, but this is the type of test I thrive on," said Mayweather, 34.

Cotto responded: "On 5 May I will convincingly beat Floyd Mayweather."

He added: "I am here to fight the biggest names in boxing. I've never ducked anyone or any challenge in front of me."

Mayweather is due to serve an 87-day prison sentence for a domestic violence conviction but the Las Vegas authorities have deferred his sentence until 1 June and granted him a one-fight licence to allow the Cotto fight to take place.

"Miguel Cotto is a world-class fighter who can never be taken for granted and continues to prove he is one of the best in boxing," added Mayweather.

"I have no doubt in my mind that my title belt collection will increase once again."

Cotto, 31, who has a 37-2 record, successfully defended his WBA super welterweight crown with a revenge stoppage win over Antonio Margarito in December.

Mayweather, meanwhile, scored a fourth round stoppage of Victor Ortiz last September.

The 34-year-old, who holds a 42-fight unbeaten record, last fought at light-middleweight when he outpointed Oscar De La Hoya in a disputed split decision in 2007.

Too Much Testosterone Linked to Inflated Ego: Study

Testosterone makes people more self-centered and less cooperative, a finding that may explain why group decisions can be affected by dominant individuals, researchers report.

Their study included 34 females who had never met. The women were divided into 17 pairs and asked to complete a series of tasks designed to assess their levels of cooperation. The tests were conducted on two separate days. On one day both women received a testosterone supplement. On the other day, they were given a placebo.

As expected, cooperation helped the pairs perform much better on the tasks than when individuals worked alone. Cooperation was normal when the women received the placebo, but was much less common after the women received the testosterone supplement, the investigators found.

Increased levels of testosterone were associated with the women behaving egocentrically and deciding in favor of their own selection over their partner's, said the researchers at the Wellcome Trust Center for Neuroimaging at University College London in England.

The findings were published in the Jan. 31 issue of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

"When we are making decisions in groups, we tread a fine line between cooperation and self-interest: too much cooperation and we may never get our way, but if we are too self-orientated, we are likely to ignore people who have real insight," study author Dr. Nick Wright said in a center news release.

"Our behavior seems to be moderated by our hormones -- we already know that oxytocin can make us more cooperative, but if this were the only hormone acting on our decision-making in groups, this would make our decisions very skewed," Wright explained.

"We have shown that in fact testosterone also affects our decisions, by making us more egotistical. Most of the time, this allows us to seek the best solution to a problem, but sometimes, too much testosterone can help blind us to other people's views," Wright noted. "This can be very significant when we are talking about a dominant individual trying to assert his or her opinion in, say, a jury."

Testosterone is naturally secreted in both men and women. Previous research suggests that testosterone influences a number of social behaviors. For example, female prisoners with higher levels of testosterone have been found to be more anti-social and more aggressive.

President Aquino confirms dating radio DJ Grace Lee

President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday admitted dating radio disc jockey and TV entertainment anchor Grace Lee.

“Well, we are seeing each other,” Aquino told reporters during the 25th anniversary of the Philippine Information Agency.

The President refused to entertain further questions asking the media to give him his right to privacy.

"I’ll leave it at that…. Our Constitution provides for the right to privacy. Maybe you could give me that right under Article 3," he said.

Aquino first saw the 29-year-old Korean host during the inauguration of a coal-fired power plant built by the Korean Electric Power Corp. (Kepco) in Naga City, Cebu in June last year.

“I thought she’s Pinay, but she is Korean. Even the Koreans here are beautiful,” Aquino said on Lee, who hosted the event.

Lee in return said that she was flattered by the President's comments.

Recently, the two were reportedly spotted dating.

The President earlier lamented that his love life had turned from regular to zero like a brand of cola.

His past relationships include Valenzuela City Councilor Shalani Soledad who recently married Pasig Representative Roman Romulo.

Aquino was also linked to several women such as teacher Bunny Calica, celebrity stylist Liz Uy, and stockbroker Len Lopez.

By Jill Beltran

Out-and-out STUPIDITY of the Prosecution

“The testimony of a vice president of Megaworld Corp. proved not only how much the prosecution and some senators wanted to link Corona to a supposed illegal transaction ... It also showed that this supposed court of law has no qualms about destroying the reputation of a legitimate business like Megaworld in its desire to do so."

Taken from: Jojo Robles

Yesterday’s trial was scandalous not only because the ineptitude of the House-led prosecution was once again very much in prominent display. Yes, most people who watched the hearing may have noticed the senator-judges (even some of the most palace-oriented ones) gently and not-so-gently telling the prosecutors to confer with their own witnesses before presenting them—and to not impeach them when they testify inadvertently in favor of the defense.

But the ignorance and out-and-out stupidity of the prosecution is an old story in this trial, of course. The more execrable conclusion that many observers reached yesterday is that the prosecution and some pro-palace senator-judges will not hesitate to interfere in the policies, practices and even financial and marketing judgments of private business, just to get Corona convicted.

The testimony of a vice president of Megaworld Corp. proved not only how much the prosecution and some senators wanted to link Corona to a supposed illegal transaction like his purchase of a Taguig condo. It also showed that this supposed court of law has no qualms about destroying the reputation of a legitimate business like Megaworld in its desire to do so.

Why should the Senate, the House panel and the private prosecutors tell businessmen how to run their business by informing them about how much discounts to give, how to value their products and even who to sell to, if it is not these enterprises that are on trial? Why should a business that is not even accused of any wrongdoing (and which is making a profit in these unprofitable times) be forced to explain how it reacts to market forces, its pricing methods and marketing schemes?

The business community must protest this undue interference in its affairs, especially because it is now working under a government that seems to have no clear economic programs and which doesn’t even bother about helping business make a profit, create jobs and grow the economy. And senators like Serge Osmena and Jinggoy Estrada—who displayed how clueless they were about the judgment calls made by successful enterprises like Megaworld—should not use the trial as an opportunity to show just how little business acumen they have.

Special mention must be made, naturally, about the sanity injected into the grilling of the Megaworld executive by construction tycoon Senator Manuel Villar. Villar explained to his benighted colleagues that developers routinely give deep discounts to buyers for a variety of reasons—including the pursuit of market share like the SM Group, which announced 40 percent markdowns to everyone, including to people not in any way connected to the Supreme Court.

Soon enough, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who is also in the real estate development trade, lost his patience with the private prosecutor who wanted to introduce Megaworld’s yearend financial statements to impeach his own witness and dismissed the Megaworld executive. And the attack on business by ignorant lawmakers and lawyers who just want to convict Corona abated, for now.