SM workers get non-wage benefits

Wage earners in Southern Mindanao are set to get non-wage benefits under the Department of Labor and Employment XI’s Presyo Diskwento: Basket of Goods Project for Wage Earners.

The project was launched in Region XI yesterday, July 20, with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board X and the 20 participating employers who have agreed to extend the non-profit initiative to their employees through a corporate selling scheme.

“The Basket of Goods Project will allow workers to avail of basic and prime commodities at discounted prices,” DOLE XI regional director and RTWPB XI Bard Chair Jalilo O. Dela Torre said. The discount will be on top of the existing and prevailing discounts being offered by the retail stores, he added.

And since the prices of the products are way below the standard retail prices or SRP of the retail stores, he said, the project will not only augment the family income but will also allow enterprising workers to start their own sari-sari stores.

Under the MOA, the RTWPB XI will coordinate with the suppliers of the basic commodities as well as with the companies or employers supporting the Non-Wage Benefit Program.

Dela Torre said the participating employers have pledged to allow their workers direct access to the commodities at their specific workplaces. It is the employer which will facilitate the taking of the orders of their employees which will then be given to the supplier every 13th and 28th of the month.

He said it is also the employers who will set up the salary deduction scheme of the employees who will avail of the discounted basket of goods.

However, only employees whose employers have signified intention to join the Program will be able to avail of the discounted basket of goods. As of the MOA signing, only 20 employers have committed to join the Program.

Among the employers who will participate in the Program are: Casa Leticia, Charlie’s Ice Cream House, Inc., Davao Cableworld Network, Inc., Davao Concrete Poles Corporation, Davao Light & Power Co. Inc., Davao Rope Factory, Inc., Davao Toplas, Inc., Deco Machine Shop, Inc., High Yield Sugar Farms, Corp., Holy Cross of Davao College, Inc., Holy Cross Press of the Archdiocese of Davao, Jhaymarts Industries, Legaspi Oil Company, Mahugani Security and Investigation Agency, One Network bank, San Pedro Hospital, SODACO Agricultural Corp., Stanfilco, Tagum Agricultural Dev’t. Co. and Tesoro’s Printing Press.

Dela Torre said the discounted commodities will come from Proctor & Gamble and Nestle Philippines. All the other products non supplied by the two companies will be provided by Gaisano Southmall.

Obama's Victory To Increase Investor Confidence

The Davao City Chamber of Commerce, Inc. is optimistic that the victory of United States President Barack Obama will increase investor confidence not only in the US but in other countries as well.

"We are optimistic but also realistic---we do not expect that a solution to the US recession will happen in the next 6 to 9 months but investor confidence will definitely increase," DCCCI president
Simeon Marfori said . The increase in investor confidence may not be to the previous level, he added, but it will increase with his victory.

Marfori sees a resurgence of the country's Business Process Outsourcing or BPO sector even with the slowing down of the US economy. With the American companies gearing towards cost-cutting measures, he said, they will then outsource their non-core activities to other countries like the Philippines.

It is good business sense to outsource non-core jobs since it will cost less than employing over-qualified personnel in the US who ask for higher salaries. Filipinos can look forward to more outsourced jobs in the following sectors: graphic design, content development, transcription and call centers.

However, those in the BPO sector are still worried about Obama's stance against outsourcing since he has declared his intention to end tax breaks for companies outsourcing their services outside the US. Some Americans consider the outsourcing trend as the reason why many of them are jobless.

50-100T OFWs To Lose Jobs Due To World Financial Crisis-DOLE

(In Photo) DOLE XI RD Atty. Jalilo dela Torre

The Department of Labor and Employment XI yesterday confirmed that an estimated 50 to 100 thousand Overseas Filipino Workers are set to lose their jobs due to the world financial crisis.

"But this number is very negligible compared to the number of OFWs we have worldwide," DOLE XI regional director Atty. Jalilo dela Torre said during yesterday's UGNAYAN sa Royal Mandaya press conference.

On the other hand a total of 590 thousand are in danger of being displaced because of the financial crisis. Among them are OFWs who work in the United States under temporary working visas (129T), seafarers working in cruise ships (130T), factory workers in South Korea, Taiwan and Macau (268T) and household service workers in Singapore, Macau and HongKong (48T).

Dela Torre however said that in general there is no displacement of OFWs due to the financial crisis. He said the employment of two million OFWs in the Middle East and 500,000 OFWs in Europe is secure and stable.

He said there are lots of potential labor markets for OFWs like Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Guam.