MANILA, Philippines - Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Nestle
Philippines, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum and Holcim Philippines are among
the 18 companies considered as the "most environmentally responsible" by
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The DENR awarded the 18 firms with the Official Seal of Approval,
which is valid for one year, in recognition of their efforts for
incorporating green policies across their business operations to help
protect the environment.
"The awardees were chosen because of their exemplary environmental
performance and for going beyond mere compliance with existing
environmental laws and regulations," Environment Secretary Ramon J. P.
Paje said, in a statement.
The awards are given under the DENR's Philippine Environmental
Partnership Program (PEPP) covers which covers public and private
industrial and commercial establishments.
Paje said the PEPP recognizes these companies' policies on self-monitoring and self-regulation.
The 18 awardees have not faced a single complaint before the DENR's Pollution Adjudication Board in the past three years.
As a reward, the DENR will relax its rules on the submission
requirements for reports, automatically extend the validity of permits
and ease procedures in securing environmental compliance certificates
for project expansion of the recipients under PEPP Track 1 category.
There are now a total of 57 PEPP Track 1 awardees since the program started in 2009.
Wednesday 28 November 2012
The World's Highest-Paid Musicians 2012
Though he’s only 18 years old, Justin Bieber has had a year for the ages. The Canadian crooner released his third studio album, launched a world tour and continued investing in startups, adding to a portfolio that includes stakes in Spotify, Tinychat and others. All in all, he earned $55 million in 12 months.
“I do calls every week with my business manager and my lawyer,” Bieber told FORBES this spring as part of a cover story on his budding venture capital career. “Each week I’m learning something about my business and what I need to know for my career.”
But when it comes to the world’s highest-paid musicians, Bieber is a relative pauper, barely breaking the top ten.
Hip-hop superproducer Dr. Dre leads the pack this year with $110 million, thanks largely to his Beats headphone line. He collected $100 million pretax when handset maker HTC paid $300 million for a 51% stake in the company last year, at the beginning of our scoring period; he and his partners later bought back half of what they sold.
“The brands are so aligned, Dre and Beats, it’s just who he is,” says Kevin Liles, former president of Def Jam Recordings, who now manages acts ranging from Young Jeezy to Trey Songz. “If you look at the biggest earners, the guys have been doing it for 20 years … what’s happening now is people are really telling their truth.”
Dr. Dre leads a slew of pop stars, rock icons, rap moguls and country crooners, many of whom bank the bulk of their bucks outside the recording studio. Though some artists—Jay-Z and Diddy, for example—owe their success partly to business ventures like Dre’s, most of this year’s top 25 are on the list because of touring.
“The concert business had another solid year as both artists and concert promoters used more caution in trying to achieve their touring objectives,” says Gary Bongiovanni, editor of concert data purveyor Pollstar. “The good seats for major artists continue to be priced at a premium.”
This year’s list has a distinctly international flavor. Among the top five, only Dr. Dre hails from the United States. Pink Floyd rocker Roger Waters ranks second with $88 million, nearly all of it coming from his The Wall Live tour. According to Pollstar, he grossed $158 million on 63 shows in the first six months of 2012. Fellow Brit Elton John claims the third spot with $80 million, culled from over 100 shows in our scoring period.
Ireland’s U2 ranks fourth, pulling in $78 million on the tail end of the group’s record-breaking 360 tour—which grossed $736 million over three years. British boy band Take That rounds out the top five with $69 million, thanks to a wildly-popular reunion tour. The group grossed $61 million for eight dates at London’s Wembley Stadium alone, the biggest single-stadium stand recorded to that point, cashing in on dozens of additional dates around Europe as well.
“The enormous level of business Take That did in the U.K. and Europe was truly mind-boggling,” says Bongiovanni. “That’s especially true when you consider that in the U.S. they would only be a theater-level act.”
Our estimates are based on total earnings from May 2011 to May 2012—the amount of money an act makes from record sales, touring, endorsements, merchandise sales and other ventures before subtracting management fees, legal costs and taxes (which can gobble up the bulk of a big payday). The totals were compiled with the help of data from Pollstar, RIAA and others, as well as interviews with industry insiders including concert promoters, lawyers, managers, agents and, in some cases, the musicians themselves.
Other highlights on the list include Toby Keith, who tied Bieber for tenth with $55 million. With his Ford sponsorship now on its second decade and his I Love This Bar And Grill restaurant chain booming, Keith was the top earner among all country artists—unless you count crossover star Taylor Swift, who earned $57 million, same as Paul McCartney. Coldplay and Adele continue the British trend, claiming the 21st and 22nd slots with $37 million and $35 million, respectively. Eight of the top 25 acts hail from England or Ireland.
That success extends to Anglophiles as well: Jay-Z and Beyoncé, both close friends of Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, combined to earn $78 million. The former Destiny’s Child diva is one of just eight ladies on the list, but Beyoncé’s song “Run The World (Girls)” still rings true—despite welcoming baby Blue Ivy earlier this year, she still out-earned her husband by $2 million.
Source: Forbes
Tuesday 27 November 2012
Shamcey to host web coverage of Miss Universe
MANILA, Philippines – Beauty queen Shamcey Supsup is returning to the Miss Universe stage, this time as a host of the Internet coverage of this year's pageant.
Binibining Pilipinas Charities chairperson Stella Marquez-Araneta made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon, during the send-off ceremonies for this year's Miss Philippines-Universe, Janine Tugonon.
Araneta said Miss Universe viewers should expect more of Supsup on the Internet and she is hoping that her presence will also help Tugonon’s chances of taking home the crown.
“As Janine prepares to go to defend the Philippines in the Miss Universe, I ask you to please start voting for her because if she gets high votes, she will be one of the semi-finalists. I know that the Filipinos will vote and will make her win,” she said.
Araneta added that Supsup’s job involves interviewing this year's candidates for a behind-the-scenes look at the competition.
Meanwhile, Supsup only has good words for Tugonon as she prepares to compete in the international pageant.
“Ngayon pa lang, proud na kami sa narating mo. Proud na kami sa transformation mo. Proud na kami sa lahat ng efforts na binigay mo para lang ma-prove ang sarili mo sa lahat ng aspeto kaya doon pa lang, winner ka na. Pagdating mo doon, act like a winner because you’re already in the Filipinos’ eyes,” she said.
Miss Universe 2011 fourth runner-up Venus Raj also wished Tugonon well as she represents the Philippines in this year's beauty pageant.
“December 19, ito 'yung kumbagang pinaniniwalaan nating itinakdang date para sa iyo. Just pray. Iyon naman talaga ang kailangan natin. Napakaraming Pilipino ang magdadasal sa iyo. Napakraming Pilipino sa States na papalakpak at magpapalakas ng loob mo. Huwag kang mawawalan ng loob,” she said. - with a report from ANC.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Monday 26 November 2012
What You Actually Need To Know About The Changes Facebook Is Making To Its Privacy Policy
Many Facebook users are frantically posting a “copyright protection notice” on their Walls to try to keep Facebook from violating their privacy by copying, disseminating, sharing, leaking, licking, scratching, biting, or clawing the contents of their Facebook accounts. It’s complete legal mumbo jumbo that’s not enforceable or binding on Facebook, as pointed out by my colleagues Dave Thier and Jeff Bercovici. It’s not the first time the notice has gone viral; it seems to have been spurred this time though by changes to the agreement that is binding on Facebook when it comes to your privacy: the site’s privacy policy, which Facebook likes to call the “Data Use Policy” (in acknowledgement perhaps of the fact that privacy policies don’t exist to protect your privacy but to explain the ways in which it will be violated).
Facebook sent out notice about the changes near midnight East Coast time the night before Thanksgiving — the kind of timing most companies would use to drop bad news, knowing most people are too busy traveling, salivating, or silently suffering through awkward family time to pay attention. That caused some people to freak out, assuming Facebook was changing the policy to retain rights to all your photos as well as your eternal soul.
It’s hard to blame those naive Facebook users desperately posting this notice to their wall in hopes of putting some kind of legal fence around their drunken party pics. Even the experts are confused by Facebook’s privacy policy changes. Mathew Ingram, a tech writer I hold in high esteem, told his readers that the most recent changes to the privacy policy paves the way for Facebook to create ads that follow you around the Web. As evidence, he cites a post I wrote… six months ago. Yeah, you gave Facebook the right to use your info to create an external ad network last summer. That’s old news! Here’s what you need to know about the most recent set of proposed changes:
2. Facebook is adding a clause to the data use policy that allows it to share “information with affiliates,” i.e. other companies that Facebook owns. Bloomberg calls the move Google-like, pointing out that it will allow Facebook “to build unified profiles of its users that include people’s personal data from its social network and from Instagram.” I think it’s less like Google mashing up everything it knows about a person in one basket and more like a typical corporate clause. But it does mean that Facebook and Instagram info may now exist on the same server and won’t be kept separate, meaning the social networking can now see everything it knows about you through a Walden filter.
“As our company grows, we acquire businesses that become a legal part of our organization,” says a Facebook spokesperson. “We wanted to clarify that we will share information with our affiliates and vice versa, both to help improve our services and theirs, and to take advantage of storage efficiencies.”
3. Facebook is making some changes to your ability to block people from sending you private messages. They’re removing a clause that said, “You can control who can start a message thread with you using your ‘How You Connect’ settings.” But Facebook says it’s not totally taking away your ability to block your ex from harassing you via private message.
“We are working on updates to Facebook Messages and have made this change in our Data Use Policy in order to allow for improvements to the product,” says a Facebook spokesperson. “You will still be able to block senders and manage which messages you see in your inbox.”
Source: www.forbes.com by Kashmir Hill
Friday 23 November 2012
One more dead, three sick with mystery virus: WHO
GENEVA - Another person has died of a mysterious respiratory virus
and three more cases have been discovered in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the
World Health Organisation said Friday.
"This brings the total of laboratory-confirmed cases to six," the Geneva-based UN agency said in a statement.
A Saudi man died from the novel coronavirus in June and a Qatari man was hospitalised in London with the virus after a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The WHO has previously confirmed that the new strain was part of the coronavirus family, which also includes the deadly SARS virus as well as the common cold.
What sets the new virus apart from SARS is that it causes rapid kidney failure, the WHO said.
In view of the small number of cases with little connection between them, the WHO has previously said the virus did not appear to be very contagious, but it stressed Friday that many cases might be going undetected.
The Geneva-based UN agency meanwhile said that only the two most recently confirmed cases in Saudi Arabia were so far seen as epidemiologically linked, since they were both from the "same family, living in the same household".
"Preliminary investigations indicate that these two cases presented with similar symptoms of illness. One died and the other recovered," the organisation said.
It noted however that two other members of the same family had presented similar symptoms -- one of whom had died -- but stressed that the person who lived had tested negative for the novel coronavirus while the test on the deceased was still pending.
In the new Qatari case, the patient had been sent to Germany in October for treatment at a special lung hospital and had recovered, Germany's national public health institute said in a statement.
The WHO called Friday on countries to "continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections" in general, adding that it was working to provide guidance related specifically to the novel coronavirus.
"Until more information is available, it is prudent to consider that the virus is likely more widely distributed than just the two countries which have identified cases," it cautioned.
Countries "should consider testing of patients with unexplained pneumonias for the new coronavirus even in the absence of travel or other associations with the two affected countries," it said.
According to a study published by the journal of the American Society for Microbiology earlier this week, the mystery virus appears to be most closely linked to viruses found in bats.
"The virus is most closely related to viruses in bats found in Asia, and there are no human viruses closely related to it," Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Center in The Netherlands, who led the study, told the journal.
"Therefore, we speculate that it comes from an animal source," he added.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
"This brings the total of laboratory-confirmed cases to six," the Geneva-based UN agency said in a statement.
A Saudi man died from the novel coronavirus in June and a Qatari man was hospitalised in London with the virus after a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The WHO has previously confirmed that the new strain was part of the coronavirus family, which also includes the deadly SARS virus as well as the common cold.
What sets the new virus apart from SARS is that it causes rapid kidney failure, the WHO said.
In view of the small number of cases with little connection between them, the WHO has previously said the virus did not appear to be very contagious, but it stressed Friday that many cases might be going undetected.
The Geneva-based UN agency meanwhile said that only the two most recently confirmed cases in Saudi Arabia were so far seen as epidemiologically linked, since they were both from the "same family, living in the same household".
"Preliminary investigations indicate that these two cases presented with similar symptoms of illness. One died and the other recovered," the organisation said.
It noted however that two other members of the same family had presented similar symptoms -- one of whom had died -- but stressed that the person who lived had tested negative for the novel coronavirus while the test on the deceased was still pending.
In the new Qatari case, the patient had been sent to Germany in October for treatment at a special lung hospital and had recovered, Germany's national public health institute said in a statement.
The WHO called Friday on countries to "continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections" in general, adding that it was working to provide guidance related specifically to the novel coronavirus.
"Until more information is available, it is prudent to consider that the virus is likely more widely distributed than just the two countries which have identified cases," it cautioned.
Countries "should consider testing of patients with unexplained pneumonias for the new coronavirus even in the absence of travel or other associations with the two affected countries," it said.
According to a study published by the journal of the American Society for Microbiology earlier this week, the mystery virus appears to be most closely linked to viruses found in bats.
"The virus is most closely related to viruses in bats found in Asia, and there are no human viruses closely related to it," Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Center in The Netherlands, who led the study, told the journal.
"Therefore, we speculate that it comes from an animal source," he added.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Who made it till the end of 'Miss Saigon' auditions
MANILA, Philippines – At the close of the Manila auditions of
the international hit musical “Miss Saigon” on Thursday, only six
female hopefuls were asked to stay until the very end.
According to the official Twitter account of the website Broadway World, the six girls were asked to stay and sing more songs from the musical that launched the international career of Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga.
The auditions, which started at 10 a.m., ended at almost 7 p.m.
Among the most hyped hopefuls eyeing the lead role of Kim in the musical set during the final days of the Vietnam War, only former Kapamilya singer Rachelle Ann Go made it until the very end.
Go, who drew raves for her performance as Ariel in Atlantis Productions' "The Little Mermaid" last year, first auditioned on Tuesday and made it to the callbacks and the final audition round on Thursday at the Philippine Opera Company’s headquarters in Makati City.
The other five girls who made it until the very end were theater actresses Tanya Manalang and Apple Chiu, singer-actress Frencheska Farr, Emerald Bañares and Mary Jane Solomon.
Manalang currently stars at Tuptim in Resorts World’s production of “The King and I,” while Chiu was last seen in Atlantis Productions’ “Rock of Ages.” Farr, meanwhile, starred in the movie musical “Emir.”
Several other hopefuls were seen at the final round of auditions on Thursday, including former MYX VJ K-La Rivera, who was accompanied by “Aladdin” co-star Tom Rodriguez. However, it wasn’t clear if she failed to make the shortlist.
Also seen last Thursday were Repertory Philippines’ actress Caisa Borromeo, Manila-born Singaporean singer-actress Julia Abueva and opera singer Kelly Peralejo.
Among the male hopefuls, Broadway World reported that theater actors Lorenz Martinez, Jake Macapagal, Noel Rayos and Topper Fabregas made the final round of auditions, as well as Singaporean theater actor Hossan Leong.
Martinez currently stars as Lun Tha in Resorts World’s production of “The King and I,” while Rayos was last seen as the male lead in Tanghalang Pilipino’s “Walang Sugat.” Macapagal is best known for his performance as Angel in “Rent,” while Fabregas has appeared in many Repertory Philippines productions.
Broadway World did not say who among the male auditionees stayed until the end.
Among those who didn’t advance beyond the callbacks and into the final round were celebrities Karylle, Ciara Sotto and Angeline Quinto.
Although it was initially announced that the Manila auditions are for the revival of “Miss Saigon” in London, a sign at the audition said it is “still undetermined” when the musical will open in the West End.
“Hence, there shall be no cast announcements made during the course of this audition exercise,” the sign said.
According to Broadway World, the auditioning panel was composed of executive producer Trevor Jackson, director Laurence Connor, musical supervisor Stephen Brooker, choreographer Geoffrey Garratt and Cameron Mackintosh’s representative in the Philippines Dong Alegre.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
According to the official Twitter account of the website Broadway World, the six girls were asked to stay and sing more songs from the musical that launched the international career of Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga.
The auditions, which started at 10 a.m., ended at almost 7 p.m.Among the most hyped hopefuls eyeing the lead role of Kim in the musical set during the final days of the Vietnam War, only former Kapamilya singer Rachelle Ann Go made it until the very end.
Go, who drew raves for her performance as Ariel in Atlantis Productions' "The Little Mermaid" last year, first auditioned on Tuesday and made it to the callbacks and the final audition round on Thursday at the Philippine Opera Company’s headquarters in Makati City.
The other five girls who made it until the very end were theater actresses Tanya Manalang and Apple Chiu, singer-actress Frencheska Farr, Emerald Bañares and Mary Jane Solomon.
Manalang currently stars at Tuptim in Resorts World’s production of “The King and I,” while Chiu was last seen in Atlantis Productions’ “Rock of Ages.” Farr, meanwhile, starred in the movie musical “Emir.”
Several other hopefuls were seen at the final round of auditions on Thursday, including former MYX VJ K-La Rivera, who was accompanied by “Aladdin” co-star Tom Rodriguez. However, it wasn’t clear if she failed to make the shortlist.
Also seen last Thursday were Repertory Philippines’ actress Caisa Borromeo, Manila-born Singaporean singer-actress Julia Abueva and opera singer Kelly Peralejo.
Among the male hopefuls, Broadway World reported that theater actors Lorenz Martinez, Jake Macapagal, Noel Rayos and Topper Fabregas made the final round of auditions, as well as Singaporean theater actor Hossan Leong.
Martinez currently stars as Lun Tha in Resorts World’s production of “The King and I,” while Rayos was last seen as the male lead in Tanghalang Pilipino’s “Walang Sugat.” Macapagal is best known for his performance as Angel in “Rent,” while Fabregas has appeared in many Repertory Philippines productions.
Broadway World did not say who among the male auditionees stayed until the end.
Among those who didn’t advance beyond the callbacks and into the final round were celebrities Karylle, Ciara Sotto and Angeline Quinto.
Although it was initially announced that the Manila auditions are for the revival of “Miss Saigon” in London, a sign at the audition said it is “still undetermined” when the musical will open in the West End.
“Hence, there shall be no cast announcements made during the course of this audition exercise,” the sign said.
According to Broadway World, the auditioning panel was composed of executive producer Trevor Jackson, director Laurence Connor, musical supervisor Stephen Brooker, choreographer Geoffrey Garratt and Cameron Mackintosh’s representative in the Philippines Dong Alegre.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Sunday 18 November 2012
Bieber, Swift early winners at American Music Awards
Bieber, 18, picked up the award for favorite pop/rock male artist, beating out stiff competition from Flo Rida, Pitbull and Usher. The star walked the red carpet with his mother, Pattie Mallette, after his widely reported split from former Disney star and girlfriend Selena Gomez.
"This is for all the haters who thought that maybe I was just here for one or two years, but I feel like I am going to be here for a very long time," Bieber said on stage, dedicating his win to his mother.
Swift, 22, scored the favorite female country artist award, edging out Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood. She thanked her fans in her acceptance speech, saying, "I'm really, really happy right now and that's all because of you."
Nicki Minaj picked up the award for favorite rap/hip hop album of the year, with "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded," over nominees Drake and newcomer rapper J. Cole.
The American Music Award nominees and winners are voted for by fans online, and the awards are handed out during a live three-hour broadcast featuring performances by artists.
R&B star Usher kicked off the night with an electric performance on a laser-filled stage, followed by Carly Rae Jepsen singing hits including "Call Me Maybe," while boy band The Wanted, who are up for favorite pop/rock group, donned suits to sing their latest, "I Found You."
Former "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson belted out a medley of her tracks including "Miss Independent" and "What Doesn't Kill You," and pop singer Ke$ha hit the stage in a tribal-themed performance of her latest single "Die Young."
The awards show, which marks its 40th anniversary this year, treated the audience to some of its greatest moments, including R&B star Beyonce performing "Single Ladies" at the 2008 show and a clip of Michael and Janet Jackson as children accepting an award in 1975.
R&B star Rihanna, 24, and rapper Nicki Minaj, 29, went into Sunday's show leading with four nods each, battling each other in the favorite pop/rock female artist category.
Rihanna will also face stiff competition from Bieber, Maroon 5, Drake and Katy Perry for the night's top prize, the coveted artist of the year.
Rihanna wasn't expected to be at the awards show on Sunday, as she is in Berlin, midway through a seven-day tour across seven cities around the world promoting her upcoming "Unapologetic" album.
The race for new artist of the year will also be tight, as newcomers One Direction, Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen, indie-pop band fun. and rapper J. Cole will compete for the accolade.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Friday 16 November 2012
Asia's mega-cities more vulnerable to disasters
MANILA – Asia's cities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to
natural disasters as they struggle with poor planning, population
explosions and climate change, the Asian Development Bank warned on
Tuesday.
Floods, earthquakes and other disasters claim tens of thousands of lives a year and cost billions of dollars in the region's cities and urban areas, but not nearly enough is being done to improve their defenses, the bank said.
"The region has borne the brunt of the physical and economic damage of the sharp rise in natural disasters (globally) since the 1980s," the ADB said in a statement accompanying the release of a new study.
"Its people are four times more likely to be affected by natural disasters than in Africa, and 25 times more likely than in Europe or North America," it added.
Floods are the most common peril and have become three times more frequent across the Asia-Pacific in the past 30 years, the report said.
It found that the impact of storms on cities and urban areas has worsened due to chaotic urban planning and environmental degradation, as well as poorly-managed urbanization and deforestation.
Meanwhile, millions of people are leaving safer rural areas for low-lying coastal cities, often driven to the economic hubs by poverty.
More than 152 million people in the Asia-Pacific are now vulnerable to natural disasters every year, up from 24 million in the 1980s, the study found.
Deaths from natural disasters across the region increased to more than 651,000 between 2000 and 2009, compared with fewer than 100,000 in the 1980s, it said.
Vinod Thomas, director-general for independent evaluation at the Philippines-based ADB, said governments in the region spent two thirds of disaster funds on restoring damaged infrastructure.
But only a third was spent on making these areas more disaster-proof.
"We have thought for too long that natural disasters come and go, that they are just an interruption to development, and that they can simply be dealt with after they strike," Thomas said.
"However, there is growing international recognition that the incidence and impact of natural disasters are increasing for a variety of reasons: persistent poverty, population growth, and climate change.
"Policymakers need to recognize that investments in disaster risk management are an essential means to sustain growth."
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Floods, earthquakes and other disasters claim tens of thousands of lives a year and cost billions of dollars in the region's cities and urban areas, but not nearly enough is being done to improve their defenses, the bank said.
"The region has borne the brunt of the physical and economic damage of the sharp rise in natural disasters (globally) since the 1980s," the ADB said in a statement accompanying the release of a new study.
"Its people are four times more likely to be affected by natural disasters than in Africa, and 25 times more likely than in Europe or North America," it added.
Floods are the most common peril and have become three times more frequent across the Asia-Pacific in the past 30 years, the report said.
It found that the impact of storms on cities and urban areas has worsened due to chaotic urban planning and environmental degradation, as well as poorly-managed urbanization and deforestation.
Meanwhile, millions of people are leaving safer rural areas for low-lying coastal cities, often driven to the economic hubs by poverty.
More than 152 million people in the Asia-Pacific are now vulnerable to natural disasters every year, up from 24 million in the 1980s, the study found.
Deaths from natural disasters across the region increased to more than 651,000 between 2000 and 2009, compared with fewer than 100,000 in the 1980s, it said.
Vinod Thomas, director-general for independent evaluation at the Philippines-based ADB, said governments in the region spent two thirds of disaster funds on restoring damaged infrastructure.
But only a third was spent on making these areas more disaster-proof.
"We have thought for too long that natural disasters come and go, that they are just an interruption to development, and that they can simply be dealt with after they strike," Thomas said.
"However, there is growing international recognition that the incidence and impact of natural disasters are increasing for a variety of reasons: persistent poverty, population growth, and climate change.
"Policymakers need to recognize that investments in disaster risk management are an essential means to sustain growth."
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Wednesday 14 November 2012
The Facebook Job Board Is Here: Recruiting Will Never Look The Same
Sound the gong! Facebook recruiting is here...
Though a spokesperson for the company insists the announcement does not mean Facebook is entering the recruiting industry, that statement appears far-fetched given the capability of the application. The page allows users to search for jobs by location, industry and skill, apply to them directly through Facebook, and then share the jobs to their social network. Its developer partners also believe Facebook is making a clear statement of its intentions. “Facebook is launching a jobs page within Facebook,” notes Stephane Le Viet, founder and CEO of Work4 Labs. “This is a very big disruption in a very large space.”
The company’s own blog post reveals some telling statistics about the potential for recruiting over the platform. According to Facebook, half of employers in the U.S. use the social network during their hiring process. Of those companies already using Facebook to engage with customers, 54 percent anticipate using it more heavily in their recruitment efforts in the future. Given those numbers, the lucrative nature of the recruitment industry and the success of companies like Work4 Labs—not to mention increasing pressure from battered shareholders—it appears likely that Facebook will seek monetize recruitment efforts at some point soon.
Le Viet surmises that the current application is just an early, lightweight version intended to test recruiting on the platform. It also serves to trigger a PR push letting the general public know that the social network is now a place to find jobs. A more robust version may eventually mean users will see more recruitment-related activity on their newsfeeds.
The Social Jobs Partnership was meant to serve as a consortium to guide the company’s recruitment offering.
Given today’s announcement, does November 14, 2012 mark the beginning of the end for LinkedIn? The varied demographics of Facebook certainly differ from LinkedIn’s 175 million older, college-educated users. Le Viet’s Work4 Labs acknowledges this reality, focusing on entry-level and hourly positions rather than the salaried openings for which LinkedIn provides candidates. And as Forbes contributor George Anders noted in a July cover story, LinkedIn Recruiter, the company’s enterprise recruitment tool, is the company’s core business. They have a three-year head start and a product with cachet among recruiters said to rival the Bloomberg terminal for traders. LinkedIn is also a trusted, professional brand created for the explicit purpose of business networking. Older employees may not feel comfortable mixing work with a social platform better known for party photos.
The sheer size of Facebook’s user base however, means that the company can slice the population a number of different ways. Though only 22 percent of users are above the age of 45, that’s still 220 million people–more than LinkedIn’s entire platform. And Facebook has already been shown to be highly effective in recruiting lower-skilled workers. A foothold in the lower end of the market could serve as a nice starting point for moving upstream and eating LinkedIn’s business. The twenty-somethings who tend profiles on both LinkedIn and Facebook may not care where their next job comes from.
It is certain that traditional online job boards like Monster.com are on the way out. While Monster has seen its market share and stock price plummet in recent years, LinkedIn has soared and Facebook’s developer partners–Work4 Labs, BranchOut and Jobvite–have raised tens of millions of dollars to pursue social graph-based recruiting models. The future of recruiting is decidedly social.
Though Forbes staffer Eric Savitz noted that the lockup agreement covering 777 million Facebook shares ended today, the company’s stock is up nearly 8%.
Source: www.forbes.com
Obama wants immigration bill 'very soon'
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Wednesday urged lawmakers to
agree as early as January on a bill to lay a path to citizenship for the
estimated 11.5 million illegal immigrants in the United States.
"I'm very confident that we can get immigration reform done," Obama told reporters at his first press conference since a decisive November 6 re-election victory in which Hispanic voters played a major role.
"My expectation is that we get a bill introduced and we begin the process in Congress very soon after my inauguration," said Obama, who is due to begin his second term after a January 21 inauguration ceremony.
Republican nominee Mitt Romney's tack to the right during his presidential campaign, particularly on immigration, was a key reason he lost the Hispanic vote by a substantial margin.
Now, with Republicans soul-searching in the aftermath of their defeat, agreeing to immigration reform is seen as one way to frame the party as more inclusive of Latinos, the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States.
"Before the election I had given a couple of interviews where I predicted that the Latino vote was going to be strong, and that that would cause some reflection on the part of Republicans about their position," Obama said.
"I think we're starting to see that already. I think that's a positive sign," the president said, adding: "We need to seize the moment."
Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham have already begun talks on a bipartisan bill that was shelved two years ago.
"Some conversations I think are already beginning to take place among senators and congressmen and my staff about what would this look like," Obama said.
Comprehensive reform would include measures that would retain strong border controls and penalize companies that hire undocumented workers while opening an avenue for legalization.
"It's important for them to pay back taxes. It's important for them to learn English. It's important for them to potentially pay a fine," Obama said.
"But to give them the avenue whereby they can resolve their legal status here in this country, I think, is very important.
"I think there should be a pathway for legal status for those who are living in this country, are not engaged in criminal activity, are here simply to work," he said.
Republican Speaker John Boehner, whose party retained control of the House of Representatives in last week's vote, has since expressed confidence that he can work with Obama to hammer out a comprehensive deal on immigration.
Republicans rejected the DREAM Act, which would legalize undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children, and supported tough anti-immigrant legislation in Arizona along the border with Mexico.
Rising Republican star Senator Marco Rubio opposed the DREAM Act and has declined to say whether he believes Congress should allow those immigrants to become citizens without going home first.
But the Cuban-American lawmaker, seen as an early contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, made clear the day after the election that his party needed to reach out to Hispanics.
"The conservative movement should have particular appeal to people in minority and immigrant communities who are trying to make it," he said in a statement issued less than two hours after Romney's concession speech.
In a historic development in June, five months before he faced re-election, Obama suspended the deportations of young illegal immigrants under 30 who came to the United States before the age of 16.
The plan was welcomed by the Latino community and no doubt boosted Obama's re-election bid.
Obama ended up winning 71 percent of the Hispanic vote, second only to former Democratic president Bill Clinton, who managed 72 percent in 1996.
The Latino vote was seen as decisive in swing states with large influxes of Hispanics like Nevada, Colorado and Florida.
Romney, breaking his post-election silence in a phone call with his finance committee reported by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, expressed bitterness about what he saw as Obama handouts, particularly to Latinos.
"The amnesty for children of illegals, the so-called 'Dream Act' kids, was a huge plus for that voting group," he said.
The number of eligible Hispanic voters in the United States is expected to almost double from 24 to 40 million by 2030. A record 12.5 million Hispanics voted on November 6, according to exit polls.
Source: www.abs-cbnnews.com by Andrew Galley 11/15/2012
"I'm very confident that we can get immigration reform done," Obama told reporters at his first press conference since a decisive November 6 re-election victory in which Hispanic voters played a major role.
"My expectation is that we get a bill introduced and we begin the process in Congress very soon after my inauguration," said Obama, who is due to begin his second term after a January 21 inauguration ceremony.
Republican nominee Mitt Romney's tack to the right during his presidential campaign, particularly on immigration, was a key reason he lost the Hispanic vote by a substantial margin.
Now, with Republicans soul-searching in the aftermath of their defeat, agreeing to immigration reform is seen as one way to frame the party as more inclusive of Latinos, the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States.
"Before the election I had given a couple of interviews where I predicted that the Latino vote was going to be strong, and that that would cause some reflection on the part of Republicans about their position," Obama said.
"I think we're starting to see that already. I think that's a positive sign," the president said, adding: "We need to seize the moment."
Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham have already begun talks on a bipartisan bill that was shelved two years ago.
"Some conversations I think are already beginning to take place among senators and congressmen and my staff about what would this look like," Obama said.
Comprehensive reform would include measures that would retain strong border controls and penalize companies that hire undocumented workers while opening an avenue for legalization.
"It's important for them to pay back taxes. It's important for them to learn English. It's important for them to potentially pay a fine," Obama said.
"But to give them the avenue whereby they can resolve their legal status here in this country, I think, is very important.
"I think there should be a pathway for legal status for those who are living in this country, are not engaged in criminal activity, are here simply to work," he said.
Republican Speaker John Boehner, whose party retained control of the House of Representatives in last week's vote, has since expressed confidence that he can work with Obama to hammer out a comprehensive deal on immigration.
Republicans rejected the DREAM Act, which would legalize undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children, and supported tough anti-immigrant legislation in Arizona along the border with Mexico.
Rising Republican star Senator Marco Rubio opposed the DREAM Act and has declined to say whether he believes Congress should allow those immigrants to become citizens without going home first.
But the Cuban-American lawmaker, seen as an early contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, made clear the day after the election that his party needed to reach out to Hispanics.
"The conservative movement should have particular appeal to people in minority and immigrant communities who are trying to make it," he said in a statement issued less than two hours after Romney's concession speech.
In a historic development in June, five months before he faced re-election, Obama suspended the deportations of young illegal immigrants under 30 who came to the United States before the age of 16.
The plan was welcomed by the Latino community and no doubt boosted Obama's re-election bid.
Obama ended up winning 71 percent of the Hispanic vote, second only to former Democratic president Bill Clinton, who managed 72 percent in 1996.
The Latino vote was seen as decisive in swing states with large influxes of Hispanics like Nevada, Colorado and Florida.
Romney, breaking his post-election silence in a phone call with his finance committee reported by the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, expressed bitterness about what he saw as Obama handouts, particularly to Latinos.
"The amnesty for children of illegals, the so-called 'Dream Act' kids, was a huge plus for that voting group," he said.
The number of eligible Hispanic voters in the United States is expected to almost double from 24 to 40 million by 2030. A record 12.5 million Hispanics voted on November 6, according to exit polls.
Source: www.abs-cbnnews.com by Andrew Galley 11/15/2012
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