April 18, 2021
Outsourcing industry recovery could be starting, survey indicates
BW FILE PHOTO OPERATIONS of outsourcing companies have started to stabilize as companies bounce back from the lockdown-induced slump of 2020, advisory firm Outsource Accelerator (OA) said in a report. The company, in a survey of 25 firms representing almost 40,000 employees, found that the shift to remote work caused a “huge operational challenge” for […]
April 18, 2021
FIRB targets May 17 to pass CREATE IRR
THE FISCAL Incentives Review Board (FIRB) aims to sign by May 17 the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, the Department of Finance (DoF) said Sunday. In a statement, the DoF said the FIRB agreed during its first meeting last week, April 14, that it […]
April 18, 2021
Further amendments to charter needed, legislator says
PHILSTAR MORE AMENDMENTS to the 1987 Constitution could still be needed beyond the economic measures certified as urgent by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, a senior legislator said. In a message to BusinessWorld Sunday, House Committee on Constitutional Amendments Chairman Alfredo A. Garbin, Jr. said the amendments to the Public Service Act, Foreign Investment Act and […]
April 18, 2021
Senate bill seeking to impose net neutrality on internet industry
PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS A BILL has been filed in the Senate seeking to impose net neutrality on the internet industry, to create a “level playing field” for all content sources. Senator Maria Imelda Josefa R. Marcos filed Senate Bill No. 2103, which imposes the net neutrality standard as well as norms for reliability and […]
April 18, 2021
Defending Sinovac and AstraZeneca
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR Good old pal Melo posted on his Facebook account: “I was scheduled for vaccination today. When I found out na Sinovac, I declined.” Our common friend Mike reacted and said: “I totally disagree with your decision my friend.” In response, Melo cited the e-mail letter he sent to his mayora […]
April 18, 2021
Government dropped the ball in the IT-BPM industry
VECTORJUICE-FREEPIK The country’s Information Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry faces serious threats from the widespread use of chatbots (or bots) and artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, the Duterte administration has not acted fast enough to help the industry pivot. Our IT-BPM industry began to take-off in 2007. Back then, the Philippines was known as an outsource supplier […]
April 18, 2021
Biden to raise US cap on refugee admissions
REUTERS WILMINGTON — President Joseph R. Biden said on Saturday he will raise the cap on the number of refugees admitted this year to the United States, a day after he drew criticism from Democratic lawmakers for agreeing to keep the historically low figure in place. Mr. Biden signed an order on Friday extending a […]
April 18, 2021
Queen Elizabeth stands alone as Philip is laid to rest
BRITAIN’s Queen Elizabeth II watches as the coffin of Prince Philip is placed inside St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle during his funeral service, in Windsor, Britain, April 17. — POOL VIA REUTERS WINDSOR, England — Queen Elizabeth bade farewell to Prince Philip at a funeral on Saturday that celebrated his seven decades of service and […]
April 18, 2021
COVID survivors may require just 1 vaccine shot
CORONAVIRUS vaccines were just rolling out in December when more than 1,000 staffers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles volunteered for a sweeping study. The goal: pinpoint how immune reactions to the jab might vary. By last month, a clear pattern in the data “popped out at us,” said research leader Susan Cheng. Those […]
April 18, 2021
S.Korea, US show differences over Japan’s Fukushima plans
REUTERS SEOUL — South Korea raised concerns over Japan’s decision to release contaminated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea with visiting U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, its foreign ministry said, but Kerry reaffirmed Washington’s confidence in the plan’s transparency. Kerry arrived in Seoul on Saturday to discuss international efforts to tackle […]
April 18, 2021
Pfizer agreed to supply additional COVID-19 vaccines, says Japan’s vaccine minister
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has agreed to Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s request to supply additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, the vaccine minister of Japan said on Sunday. “They have agreed on the essentials of the matter,” vaccine tzar Taro Kono said during a live interview on Fuji TV, adding that further details including […]
April 18, 2021
UK warships to sail for Black Sea in May as Ukraine-Russia tensions rise – Sunday Times
British warships will sail for the Black Sea in May amid rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the Sunday Times newspaper reported, citing senior naval sources. The deployment is aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine and Britain’s NATO allies, the newspaper reported. One Type 45 destroyer armed with anti-aircraft missiles and an anti-submarine Type 23 […]