At the invitation of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the CFO joined migration experts from the MENA Region and EU in a 2-day conference in Tunisia to share recent initiatives of the Philippine Government in addressing jobs-skills mismatch among the youth. Representing the Chairperson Imelda M. Nicolas and the Commission was Director Maria Regina Angela G. Galias who presented on the Philippine Experience in Matching Economic Migration with Labor Market Needs.

Much like current conditions in the Philippines, countries belonging in the OECD and MENA region are highly concerned about the growing number of educated yet unemployed youth. Matching the skills of these young persons with the labor market needs is particularly important for these countries as more and more skilled individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 are looking for job opportunities overseas. According to OECD and UNFPA, this may have detrimental effects on the development prospects of the origin countries and even more if migration occurs among young graduates in critical sectors such as education and health. According to reports, in 2010 about 380,000 new migrants from the MENA region settled in OECD countries accounting for about 7% of total immigration flows.

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Washington, D.C. – Filipinos and Filipino American commu-nity leaders and supporters joined a nationwide “Call to Action” today to press immediate passage of an immigration reform bill that would provide a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants and protect family reunification provisions.

At a rally on Capitol Hill, which drew thousands of leaders and supporters from religious communities, immigrant rights coalitions and labor organizations, these de-mands were repeated by speakers who fired up the crowd with chants of “Si, Si Puwede” (Yes We Can) and “The Time Is Now.”

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85th FEU Graduation Ceremonies, Institute of Accounts, Business, and Finance

Graduation speeches often take on the character of the person delivering them. I am not a priest, so don’t expect me to preach to you. I’m not an inventor, so I can’t tell you about the magic of scientific discovery. I’m not a philosopher, either, so don’t hope too hard for me to tell you the meaning of life, love, or happiness.

What I am is an accountant, a finance man, and a public servant.  And so today I will tell you about business, service, and my observations on how to be a success.

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On May 13, I vote in Baguio City and this will mean giving the elected mayor, vice mayor, and city council the power of the purse over P1.286 billion.

I would have added the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) of P35 million but as of February 22, it has all been released to the incumbent's chosen implementing institutions, leaving nothing to the incoming representative.

Vicious cycle

It always begins with your vote.

We Filipinos engage in elections with gusto! Elections are like fiestas with that sinister edge of violence and greed. We love the pomp and pageantry and we gamely debate and divide ourselves based on our choices – not that there is much difference these days, or that we do make informed choices.

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