4k Mactan workers laid off Gloomy business condition forces MEZ apparel firms to retrench
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OME 4,000 workers at the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ) in Cebu province stand to lose their jobs after five garment companies announced they would have to lay off at least 25 percent of their employees.
The affected firms – Mactan Apparels Inc, Metro Wear, Inc.,
Globalwear Manufacturing Inc., Feeder Apparel Corporation,
and Vertex One Apparel Phils – temporarily ceased operations during the height of the pandemic and resumed only when the restrictions were eased. With several of the displaced workers based in Lapu-Lapu
City, the city council has asked the Department of Social Welfare and Development to provide assistance to retrenched workers. “In the midst of economic difficulties, it is very difficult to lose employment and it
Vol. 36 No. 228
October 2, 2022
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is urgent for the local government to step in and provide assistance to our residents who are included in the retrenchment,” read the city council resolution authored by Council Annabeth Cuizon. CONTINUED ON 2A
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IN MET R MANILAO
PBBM supports devolution of powers to LGUs PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos assured local government units (LGUs) that his administration will help them in their devolution plans through the setting up of support and equity funds as the Mandanas ruling takes
effect this year. Mr. Marcos, speaking before the newly elected officers and directorate members of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) in Malacañang, also urged local leaders to welcome
innovations and new ideas, which could include partnerships “to maximize the service that we bring to the people.” The Chief Executive said this will include CONTINUED ON 2A
BUSINESS MATTERS.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. holds a dialog with members of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. The business leaders shared their thoughts on how to speed up the country’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Agri damage Private hospitals bear brunt of health workers shortage from ‘Karding’ rises to P3b n By MARICEL V. CRUZ THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) estimated that the cost of damage to agriculture brought by Typhoon Karding has reached more than P3 billion as the Department of Agriculture reported that retail prices of various vegetables have increased by as much as P20 in Metro Manila due to the devastation. The NDRRMC said damage to livestock, poultry, and fisheries was estimated at P14.14 million. The agency added that 104,500.90 farmers and fisherfolk and 166,630.11 hectares of crops were affected by the typhoon The death toll remained at 12, with the number of missing at five, and injuries at 52, the NDRRMC said. It further said that 247,016 families or 913,893 individuals were affected by the typhoon in seven regions, and 47,388 persons were displaced. Displaced families have sought shelter in evacuation centers in various areas. In terms of infrastructure, the NDRRMA said 57,080 houses and 43 roads, schools, utility services facilities, etc. were also damaged. The Department of Social Welfare and Development, local government units, and nongovernment organizations have released P51,463,930.95 worth of assistance, the agency said. In terms of price increases, Agriculture Undersecretary Kristine Evangelista said the DA has seen increases in the prices of some vegetables in Metro Manila markets. The official said in the NCR, the price movement is around P10 to P20. CONTINUED ON 2A
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THE Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. (PHAPI) said private hospitals are bearing the brunt of the shortage of healthcare workers as the country continues to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. PHAPI president Dr. Jose Rene de Grano said while private hospitals are
prepared to accommodate COVID-19 patients, the private hospitals’ problem is the shortage of healthcare workers. “A lot of healthcare workers who left private hospitals have either transferred to public hospitals or have gone overseas. Private hospitals are feeling the impact of shortage of
healthcare workers,” De Grano said. The Department of Health earlier said the country is in need of at least 160,000 nurses in public and private facilities and hospitals across the nation. Health workers also appealed for higher pay to help them cope with the high cost of living.
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Text scammers tap aggregators as new ‘modus’
others to uncharted depths. “The moves are definitely getting extreme,” said Brad Bechtel of Jefferies, warning that the exchange rates could fall further creating a “dire situation.”
THE National Privacy Commission said on Saturday it is facing difficulties in going after text scammers as these are now utilizing “text aggregators.” The NPC said messages are sent through an aggregator's clients, such as online applications. Aggregators can have access to a list of telecommunication companies where they can send these messages. NPC Deputy Commissioner Leandro Angelo Aguirre said this is the reason the NPC mounted another probe into these text messages. “Aggregators have a list of telcos that they can use for sending SMS. If you are a company, you can use the aggregator’s platform and they will push the messages to the telcos,” Aguirre said. The official said this “application to phone” messaging, instead of “phone-to-phone messaging," is difficult to “solve.” He said an aggregator can use mobile applications such as Agoda or Booking.com to push the said texts through the telcos. Aguirre
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HERITAGE WALK. Members of cultural organization ‘Renacimiento Manila’ conduct a Pasig River Heritage Appreciation walk from Plaza Lawton in front of Manila Cathedral to Calle Escolta. Danny Pata
Exchange rates fall vs. US$ raising dire situation THE dazzling rise of the US dollar, which has hit one record after another, is raising fears of a currency crash of a severity not seen since the 1997 Asian financial crisis reverberated around the world. The Federal Reserve’s rapid, steep
interest rate increases and the relative health of the US economy has caused investors to flood into the dollar, driving the greenback up and sending the British pound, Indian rupee, Egyptian pound and South Korean won and
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The DOH also said the workforce gap spans other health care professionals such as doctors, physical therapists, and dentists, with the total shortage at around 194,000, the agency said. The breakdown, according to the department, is as follows:
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