By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 12:37:00 04/13/2010

Filed Under: business, Employment, Automotive Equipment, business process outsourcing (BPO)

MANILA, Philippines – Citing a “talented workforce with high IT [information technology] competence and language diversity,” a German company announced Tuesday that it would hire up to 200 Filipinos for its first Asian business process outsourcing (BPO) office to be set up here.

“In Bosch we believe that your business location should be where your clients are. And we chose Manila to set up Robert Bosch Communications Center Inc. (RBCCI) – over 18 other cities including Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok – because of its pool of talented workforce with high IT competence and language diversity,” said Kaycee Crisostomo, communications manager for Robert Bosch Inc., which provides services for RBCCI.

“Initial investment for the hiring of 100 to 200 agents amount to 500,000 euros ($678,774) but we are bullish to pour in more investments when we go about RBCCI’s expansion by next year. Right now I cannot chalk up the figures for expansion but definitely there is investment to be allotted for it,” he added.

RBCCI, which was inaugurated April 5, will hire Filipino agents with language skills in Chinese Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Filipino, German and French “to service its clients and expand its local presence in Asia.”

Manila’s strategic location in Asia and its network infrastructure for BPO services – ranked as the third best in the world – were also factors for its selection as Bosch’s first BPO center in Asia, the official added.

The new company, said Crisostomo, would offer IT helpdesk services to both internal and external clients of Bosch at a 30-70 portfolio mix, following the IT helpdesk implementation in the European and American markets by teams in Berlin, Buenos Aires and Timisoara in Romania.

“Asia is a very important market for Robert Bosch and we aim to gain inroads in this fast growing market through RBCCI. At present, no one can deny China is an emerging economic superpower and as a company, it would be unwise not to invest or tap into this market,” said Crisostomo.

RBCCI will focus on providing voice services, which it believes will grow and dominate the global BPO industry, which is primed to become a $100-billion market by 2020.

By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 12:38:00 04/09/2010

Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Elections, Politics

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is studying a petition to let voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) cast their ballot ahead of the May 10 polls.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento told INQUIRER.net that holding early elections in ARMM would allow the Comelec to “focus on holding orderly elections the region’s provinces” where polls in the past were marred by fraud and violence.

“There is a petition to hold early elections in the ARMM to be heard on April 15, which we welcome because it would allow the Comelec, media, watchdogs, and foreign observers to focus on the region’s provinces and to help guard the polls against fraud and violence,” said Sarmiento.

The ARMM provinces – Basilan (excluding Isabela City), Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Sulu, except Tawi-Tawi – have been identified as election hotspots by the Philippine National Police.

At least 118 of the 558 cities and municipalities being closely monitored by the PNP belong to ARMM.

On Nov. 23, 2009, 57 people, including 34 journalists covering the filing of certificate of candidacy by Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, were killed in Maguindanao.

The conduct of early automated polls in the ARMM should be “at least a week ahead of the May 10 polls,” said Sarmiento.

ARMM was the first region in the country to experience automated polls where direct recording electronic and optical scan poll machines were used during the 2008 regional elections.

MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos abroad can start voting for nationally elected candidates here on April 10 until May 10 when the country holds the first automated polls, an official of the Commission on Elections said Thursday.

The Comelec and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will coordinate for the overseas absentee voting (OAV) and the first automated OAV in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Absentee voters can only vote for president, vice president, senator and partylist to be written on the OAV ballot form measuring 14 by 4.5 inches, said Comelec Commissioner Armando Velasco, concurrent head of the committee on OAV during the joint congressional committee meeting on automated elections.

Absentee voters may cast their ballots from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (the time of the host country) on April 10. For the succeeding days, however, voting will start at 8 a.m. and end at 6 p.m. (Philippine time). Foreign posts may adopt a flexible eight-hour schedule, according to an OAV resolution.

There are 589,830 overseas absentee voters, including 224, 884 new OAV registrants who enlisted between February and August, said Velasco.

Comelec has started sealing of the 33 poll machines to be used for the pilot automated polls in Hong Kong and Singapore, which recorded the highest registration of absentee voters at 95,355and 31,853, respectively.

“The combined voters in Hong Kong and Singapore are equal to 21 percent of the total overseas voters,” said Velasco.

Another 140,832 Filipinos abroad in 47 countries will vote by mail. They were sent official ballots and other election paraphernalia in mailing packets, which should be filled up by the voter upon receipt and returned to the post of the country where they would be canvassed, said Velasco.

For the rest of the half a million OAVs who would cast their votes in person, they must present a valid passport or identification with name, signature, and photograph to the special board of election inspectors (SBEIs).

In the absence of IDs, a voter will be asked to take an oath on his identity in the presence of an SBEI member. If a voter fails to prove his identity, he will not be allowed to vote.

Foreign Affairs undersecretary Rafael Seguis said personnel from 93 Philippine consulate offices abroad were ready to handle the three modes of voting for this year’s OAV: the pilot automated polls in Hong Kong and Singapore, voting by mail, and voting in person.

Seguis also urged absentee voters in Hong Kong to proceed to Bayanihan centers on weekdays to avoid long lines for voting on Sundays.

Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Elections, Politics

MANILA, Philippines – There is a surge in the number of voters registered for the May 10 elections compared to the 2007 polls, the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) claimed Tuesday, as it warned the Commission on Elections that the computerized voters’ list (CVL) that it would be using was “unreliable.”

Through its “Bantay ng Bayan” project, Namfrel disclosed that there was a 12.65 percent increase in the number of voters registered for the May 2010 polls or 50 million, said Jose Cuisia Jr., Namfrel chairman.

Cuisia said that applying the National Census and Statistics Board annual average population growth rate, “the increase in registered voters from the last elections should be between six and eight percent only not 12.65 percent.”

Cuisia said this “significant difference in increase indicate a large number of registrants, meaning the CVL has not been cleaned up. We estimate the overlisting can be up to three million names, assuming the 2007 list was clean and accurate.”

The “CVL is one of [the] weak links in the May polls. A reliable CVL is guardian of the one person, one vote process and to ensure that it has no duplicate names and minors or deceased voters,” said Cuisia.

Cuisia cited Namfrel’s discovery that there were 36 voters with identical names in Oriental Mindoro, 10 in two towns of Lanao del Norte, and an undetermined number in Ilocos Sur.

He also cited the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao where a 42 percent increase of enlisted voters from 2007 to 2010 was noted.

“Every province in ARMM recorded an increase higher than the national average. Maguindanao province alone registered 82 percent increase in registered voters, following a 21 percent drop from the 2004 to 2007 elections,” he said.

Damaso Magbual, Namfrel membership committee chairman, said that Comelec was inefficient in purging the voters’ list through an expensive computer program.

He noted how Bangladesh cleaned its voters’ list at a cost of P0.80 per voter.

“If the Comelec valued our assistance to purge the voters’ list, we could have done that a long time ago. We ask them for a voters’ list and they charged us P15 per page of the computerized list of the voters. They make it too expensive for us to help them,” said Magbual.

“The last final resort should be an honest to goodness indelible ink on Election Day. Here, voters can take off their indelible ink in a day, while in Afghanistan the ink stays for 33 days,” said Magbual.

“Having a reliable indelible ink that cannot be easily removed on Election Day is vital,” said Namfrel’s Guillermo Luz.

“It is too late to clean the list right now because we have procedures so the only way is to have a reliable indelible ink to ensure a person can only vote once, even if his name is listed in 20 polling precincts,” he said.

Cuisia denied allegations that they were creating a scenario of a failure of elections, saying this is their way to help ensure clean and honest elections.

“We cannot afford a failure of elections that is why we are sounding out these concerns to identify problems and remedies. Despite non-accreditation, our will to volunteer to help Comelec shows our will to help the country,” said Luz.

Luz and Cuisia urged voters to check as early as this month, their names and precinct assignments with their municipal election offices.

Luz also urged Comelec to issue out detailed guidelines for the contingency measures to prevent fraud in the May polls.

By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:48:00 04/06/2010

Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Elections, Politics

MANILA, Philippines – To prevent poll fraud in May, election watchdog National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) said Tuesday that they would recruit 150,000 volunteers to observe the conduct of the automated polls.

Jose Cuisia Jr., Namfrel national chairman said the watchdog’s provincial chairmen would be the one to recruit observers in their respective areas.

“At present, we have 54 provincial chairmen, who will organize observation and ground roots watchdog groups in their own areas. We need 26 more provincial chairman and we hope by this week we fill that,” said Cuisia,

Namfrel will be deploying at least two observers to each polling precinct, he added.

Cuisia said that some of the provincial chairmen moved to the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), the accredited citizens’ arm for the May 2010 elections.

Comelec denied Namfrel’s petition for accreditation this year after PPCRV’s accreditation was approved since November last year.

Guillermo Luz, Namfrel Council member said that this would be done to help prevent cheating on election day.

“Cheating takes place where there are no volunteers or observers. So if we all tell people where there are no volunteers they would go there to cheat. Our observers have a checklist of activities to do such as guidelines to check that the machines arrive on time and it contains no stored voting data,” Luz said.

“We will perform poll watchdog duties although we cannot enter the polling precincts. We will have observers outside the polling precincts and even roving volunteers to check the conduct of elections are orderly on Election Day, and to make sure that the machines to be used do not contain tampered automation software and does not contain voting data to create fraud and benefit a few parties,” said Damaso Magbual, Namfrel membership committee chairman.

Cuisia also stressed that the Comelec should conduct the random manual audit of the machines before proclamation of the results to determine if the machines are accurate in counting and transmitting the codes.

He added a genuine indelible ink is also needed to prevent flying voters to vote in more than one polling place.

Luz also urged voters and the media to check machines delivered on the polling precinct and to be used on Election Day has the same hash code or “digital fingerprint” produced by international certification Systest Labs of the automation software specific only to a polling precinct.

“We believe Comelec is doing its best to prepare for the polls but we believe these areas need to be addressed and to make sure that the voting results reflect the will of the people and we have a legitimate government,” said Magbual.

“If the polls are not accepted by the people, it would be a real problem,” said Cuisia.

By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 18:42:00 04/06/2010

Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Politics, Elections

MANILA, Philippines—Liberal Party senatorial bet Dr. Martin Bautista said Tuesday that Senate president Juan Ponce-Enrile should no longer seek re-election to give way to “young blood” in the chamber who could start genuine reform in the country.

“Senator Enrile, iginagalang ko po ang inyong age at talino sa 44 taong nagsilbi kayo sa gobyerno pero sa tingin ko po, dapat pagbigyan ninyo naman po yung mga bago na makaupo rin sa Senado (Senator Enrile, I respect your age and wisdom given your over 44 years in public service but I believe it is time for new candidates to be in the Senate),” Bautista said during the Kapihan forum at the Ilustrado Restaurant in Intramuros, Manila.

Enrile, who was also present at the forum, replied by challenging the younger senatorial bet to run with him and see who would win based on the Filipinos’ will.

“In the May elections, I suggest that you run with me. I am unsure if kaya mo akong sabayan (I am unsure if you can keep pace with me),” Enrile added.

Meanwhile, Rodolfo “Ompong’’ Plaza who is also running for senator under the Nacionalista Party like Enrile, lashed out at Bautista for attacking a personality to gain advantage and “dignify his person.”

“That statement is uncalled for… He can’t decide who will run. Every Filipino has a right to elect whom they want to,” said Plaza.

By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:24:00 04/07/2010

Filed Under: Food, Consumer Issues, Health

MANILA, Philippines – Samples of flour imported from Turkey are being analyzed by the Food and Drug Administration amid reports of substandard quality and of being harmful to consumers, the Department of Health said Wednesday.

The Department of Health (DoH) disclosed that samples of flour imported from Turkey are being analyzed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following media reports that they are substandard and may harm consumers.

It had been reported that the flour from Turkey used by local manufacturers for making noodles and bread contained “mycotoxins, particularly Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxin.”

“The DoH, through the FDA’s Laboratory Services Division, immediately moved to test flour samples for the presence of mycotoxins, particularly Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxin, which are produced by certain poisonous non-edible fungi species,” said Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral.

Six flour samples – five imported from Turkey and one from a local source – being used in Central Visayas and Metro Manila were collected from March 9 to 22 and were tested, said Cabral.

“Initial results revealed that none of the samples had concentrations of mycotoxins above the allowable limit,” said Cabral. “Despite this, the FDA will conduct more tests on the flour samples.”

Representatives from Turkey flour manufacturers arrived in the country on March 26 and assured FDA officials that their flour products are fit for human consumption.

The manufacturers will submit a special certification from the Turkish government that their flour is safe and routinely tested for the presence of toxic substances by the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs before being exported to other countries.

“We would like to assure the public that the DoH is on top of the situation. If and when it is proven that the flour imported from Turkey is unsafe, they can expect us to take immediate and decisive action,” said Cabral.

By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 17:17:00 04/07/2010

Filed Under: Government, Diseases, Health

MANILA, Philippines—Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said Wednesday that the Philippines will receive anytime this week about 1.9 million doses of vaccines against A(H1N1) flu virus, which will be distributed to high-risk groups.

Cabral said the vaccines donated by the World Health Organization (WHO) will be distributed for free among high-risk groups individuals such as those who are pregnant, health workers, children below five years and the elderly.

She said the DoH will post notices at barangay (village) health centers to notify high-risk groups of their vaccination schedule.

Under WHO guidelines, at least ten percent of the general population or 9 million Filipinos should be able to avail of the A(H1N1) vaccination but high-risk groups will be given priority.

By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 17:17:00 04/07/2010

Filed Under: Government, Diseases, Health

MANILA, Philippines—Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said Wednesday that the Philippines will receive anytime this week about 1.9 million doses of vaccines against A(H1N1) flu virus, which will be distributed to high-risk groups.

Cabral said the vaccines donated by the World Health Organization (WHO) will be distributed for free among high-risk groups individuals such as those who are pregnant, health workers, children below five years and the elderly.

She said the DoH will post notices at barangay (village) health centers to notify high-risk groups of their vaccination schedule.

Under WHO guidelines, at least ten percent of the general population or 9 million Filipinos should be able to avail of the A(H1N1) vaccination but high-risk groups will be given priority.

By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 13:40:00 04/08/2010

Filed Under: Eleksyon 2010, Politics, Elections

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) ordered its poll officers to “manually cross out” from the computerized voters’ list (CVL) individuals with multiple or double registration records ahead of the May 10 elections.

Under Comelec Resolution 8817 promulgated on April 5, “all election officers are directed to manually cross out from the Election Day CVL, posted CVLs and supplemental list of voters the names of 704, 542 double or multiple registrants as previously ordered in Resolution 8791,” Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer told INQUIRER.net.

For the manual deletion of multiple registration records, election officers (EO) must indicate on top of the crossed-out name the annotation: “Per Resolution 8791” followed by the EO’s signature, the resolution stated.

“For the May elections, we have to make do with the manual crossing out of the double registrants from the CVL because the official deletion from the CVL would have to undergo hearings by the Election Registration Board (ERB) to be held after the May national elections,” said Ferrer.

INQUIRER.net reported that the National Capital Region has the highest number of multiple registrants at 156,133, followed by Cavite with 47,016; Davao del Sur, 34,557; Nueva Ecija, 32,030; Rizal province, 28,663; Cebu with 23,602; Laguna with 20,107; Pampanga 21,758; Negros Occidental, 18,800; Iloilo, 15,783; Pangasinan, 14,734; South Cotabato, 14,637; and Batangas, 13,413, according to Comelec records.

Quoting Comelec minute resolution 09-0696, Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said in another interview that the poll body would retain only the multiple registrant’s latest record if enlisted in a different district, city or municipality while those found to have multiple registrations in the same district, city or municipality would be allowed to vote using their original registration.

For double or multiple registrants with records found within the same district, city, municipality, their original registration shall prevail over subsequent registrations, the minute resolution stated.

All board of election inspectors (BEIs) are in turn mandated not to allow these multiple registered voters to cast their ballots in precincts where their records had been canceled, Sarmiento said.

“The purging of the voters’ lists is to make sure that each voter can only vote once even if he or she has multiple records,” said Sarmiento.