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Work-life balance?

My column in BusinessWeek Mindanao and MINDANAO DAILY

How many hours do you work usually daily? We are all workers whether we work in a plush carpetted office as executives and managers, in a hot and noisy assembly-plant as factory-hands or as house-wives at home.

Why do we work? Why do we slug five or six days a week (or even more?) for eight or more hours at a stretch? The church has had quite a lot to say about work and especially, the rights of the workers. And when you get through the church jargon, you'll find statements on minimum wages for workers, needs for leisure and social benefits.

It is the Book of Genesis which tell us that work is God's gift to human beings. God gave us the will, power and intelligence to "fill the earth and subdue it" and not just talk about seeing the wild beasts, the fruits and grains... .

We are given the enormous task of shaping the earth, whether as machinist in a textile factory, or as clerk in court. The important message is: Work is for man (and woman) and not man (and woman) for work! Through work, man develops himself, his personality and his sense of self-worth. It is also through work that man produces goods and services contributing and participating in the development and society.

In the encyclical Laborem Exercens (on human work), Pope John Paul II made it clear that there should be just remuneration for the work of an adult who is responsible for a family and this means enough money for the breadwinner to feed, clothe and maintain his partner and children, with provisions "for security for his future".

I came across an Asian nation's legislators overwhelmingly approved a bill that reduces the maximum weekly work hours.

South Korea is reducing its maximum working week from 68 hours to 52 hours in a bid to boost the country’s productivity and the number of children being born. But the average working week varies depending where you live in the world. So, which countries are “burning the midnight oil”?

In March, South Korea's National Assembly passed a law that will give a substantial amount of its workforce a well-deserved break. It is the developed nation with the longest working hours, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The South Korean government also believes it could even increase the country's birth rate, which has decreased substantially in the last few decades.

This new law will come into force in July 2018, although initially it will only apply to large companies before reaching smaller businesses.

Despite opposition from the business community, the South Korean government believes the law is necessary to improve living standards, create more jobs and boost productivity Exceptions to the rule? The South Korean government also believes it could even increase the country's birth rate, which has decreased substantially in the last few decades.

South Korea has currently longer working hours than any other developed country: an average 2,069 hours per year, per worker, according to 2016 data compiled by the OECD. The analysis covered 38 countries and showed that only Mexicans (2,225 hours/year) and Costa Ricans (2,212 hours/year) worked longer hours.

South Koreans bucked a global trend: studies carried out by the International Labor Organization (ILO) show that lower and middle-income countries tend to work longer hours than their richer counterparts, thanks to a series of factors that range from the proportion of self-employed workers in the labour force to lower wages, job insecurity and cultural issues.

Death by overwork is so prevalent in Japan that they have a word for it: Karoshi. But South Korea is not the only rich country to defy the odds. Japan has a problem with "death by overwork".

In more specific terms, the word means employees dying either from stress-related ailments (heart attacks, strokes) or the ones who take their own lives because of the pressures of the job.

The average of 1,713 hours worked per year in Japan is not among the highest in the OECD list, but beyond the number, there is the grim reality that the country has no legislation at all stipulating a maximum weekly hours limit and neither overtime limit.

In the 2015-16 financial year, the government registered a record 1,456 karoshi cases. Workers’ rights groups claim that the actual figures could be many times higher due to under-reporting. Japan has a problem with "death by overwork", expressed not only by statistics but also the fact that the Japanese language has a word for this: karoshi.

According to ILO's most recent figures, Asia is a continent where more people work the longest hours: most of the countries (32%) have no universal national limit for maximum weekly working hours and another 29% have high thresholds (60 weekly hours or more). And only 4% of the countries abide by the ILO recommendations and set the international labour standards of a maximum of 48 hours or fewer for the working week.

In the Americas and the Caribbean, 34% of the nations have no universal weekly hours limit, the highest rate amongst regions. One of the countries without a limit is the United States.

But it is in the Middle East where the legal limits are more open for long hours: eight out of 10 countries permit weekly working hours in excess of 60 hours per week.

In Europe, on the other hand, all countries have maximum weekly hours, and only Belgium and Turkey have legal working hours of more than 48 hours. 

But it is Africa that shows the greatest number of countries in which more than one of third of the labour force works over 48 hours per week. The rate in Tanzania, for instance, is 60%.

Surveys have also identified cities in terms of average hours. In 2016, Swiss Bank UBS released an analysis of 71 cities that showed Hong Kong with an average of 50.1 weekly working hours, ahead of Mumbai (43.7), Mexico City (43.5), New Delhi (42.6) and Bangkok (42.1).

Mexicans, apart from the longest hours, are also subjected to one of the meanest holiday regimes in the world: their legal minimum paid annual leave is less than 10 days, like in Nigeria, Japan and China, for example, while regional neighbours Brazil offer a minimum of between 20 to 23 days.

It could be worse, though. In India, where there is no universal national limit for maximum working hours, workers do not have a guaranteed minimum amount of annual leave.  

Lastly, let's find out where your work-life-balance is. 

Don't be corrupt!

By Catherine Talavera, Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — After accepting her surprise appointment as tourism secretary on Tuesday, Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said her first instruction from President Duterte was: “Just don’t be corrupt.”

“My only instruction from the President when he offered it and then I accepted – he said, ‘congratulations! All I want is no corruption. Don’t steal,’ he told me. And I said, ‘yes, of course,’ ” Puyat said yesterday in an interview.

With her at the helm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), Puyat said she would likely prioritize farm and culinary tourism.

“We’ve been working with (the DOT) with regard to farm tourism. That’s been their main project with the DA (Department of Agriculture). So might as well continue it,” she said. “I will continue the farm tourism and culinary tourism because when you go to a country, food is one of the things tourists go to.”

She was agriculture undersecretary for 12 years before Duterte casually appointed her late Tuesday at Malacañang during a meeting of the National Food Authority Council.

“He basically appointed me because he said I have been in the DA for so long, for 12 years already and there was no trace of corruption,” Puyat said.

She replaced Wanda Teo who resigned as DOT secretary Monday night at the height of controversy over the questionable advertising deal between the tourism department and the state-run People’s Television Network Inc. The agreement involved the placement of P60 million in ads for a television program of Teo’s brother Ben Tulfo.

“Medyo nagulat ako kasi pinag-uusapan namin agriculture tapos biglang naging tourism (I was a bit surprised because we were talking about agriculture then suddenly it was tourism),” she said.

Puyat admitted she has no plans for the DOT yet, but stressed she would continue to work on projects begun by Teo, including those promoting farm industry and local cuisine.

She said she wants to check first the plans of the DOT especially concerning rehabilitation efforts for Boracay and the country’s possible hosting of the Miss Universe 2018.

The new tourism chief also vowed to observe transparency in all transactions. She promised to shun nepotism like what her father – former senator and foreign affairs chief Alberto Romulo – did when he was in government.

She revealed that as DA official, she had worked with the DOT for the Madrid Fusion Manila, a major culinary event with Spain.

“We’re on our fourth year. We’ve worked with the DOT for three years already with regard to Madrid Fusion,” Puyat said.

“So it’s all about culinary tourism. We might as well continue that as far as my background is concerned,” she added.

She emphasized she’s always ready to explore more ways of improving the country’s tourism sector.

“Of course we should continue what programs are already working,” she said.

On the six-month closure of Boracay to give way to rehabilitation work, she said she’s leaving it to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to deal with the issue.

“We will see. We will leave it up to their judgment,” she said in a separate television interview.

In welcoming its new chief, the DOT said her expertise and experience would certainly bring more vigor to the department and help it attain its target under the National Tourism Development Plan for 2016-2022. The DOT hopes to boost tourist arrivals to 7.4 million this year.

“An advocate of farm and culinary tourism as evidenced in the DA’s strong partnership with the DOT’s Madrid Fusion Manila and farm tourism initiatives, the incoming secretary’s expertise and experience present an advantage in steering the industry and promoting the Philippines as a premier tourist destination,” the DOT said.

DA’s loss

While sighs of relief greeted her entry into the DOT, her departure from the DA was met with uneasiness.

“She is a big loss to the DA, especially in our marketing advocacies. But I am happy for her,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol told The STAR.

While Puyat’s appointment as DOT chief caught him by surprise, Piñol said he respects the decision of the President as he knows Puyat is fit and qualified for the position.

“I was shocked because this was not discussed in the last Cabinet meeting. But I already had an inkling that she may be chosen,” he said.

“Knowing her work habits and her honesty as a public official, I know she will excel as tourism secretary,” Piñol added.

“Looking at the brighter side, she and I could now work closely and coordinate our efforts and funding in promoting farm tourism and agri-tourism,” Piñol said.

Puyat’s credentials and reputation have also impressed senators who expect her to face smooth sailing before the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Puyat “has done well in all her government postings,” referring to her previous post as agriculture undersecretary.

“She has a clean record. She has good academic credentials and is very qualified to be the secretary of tourism. I look forward to working with her in developing our tourism industry. Good tourism policies will increase jobs and income for our people and will further sustain our growing economy,” Recto said.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III described her as “excellent,” adding that her father was also an exemplary public servant.

Sen. Nancy Binay, chair of the tourism committee, said she was looking forward to working with Puyat, whom she expects to promote “the tourism agenda and bring her expertise in farm tourism and ecotourism being sustainable approaches to rural development.”

Sen. Grace Poe said Puyat has the academic and professional credentials to lead the DOT and is known for promoting attractions and local culture of provinces she had been to as DA official.

“She is very personable and articulate and is suited to the job of selling the Philippine brand,” Sen. Sonny Angara said.

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, a member of the CA, said he expects the bicameral body to quickly confirm her appointment.

“I can truly vouch for her character and integrity as a person and her almost decade long career in public service at the DA was one of outstanding performance and with no taint of corruption or controversy whatsoever,” Zubiri said.

For Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Puyat is undoubtedly qualified for her new job. “She’s qualified for the position. Good choice,” Alvarez said.

“We support the decision of the President to further promote the tourism industry in the Philippines,” Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu said.

“She’s the right person for the right job. She possesses the qualities of a good marketing person,” Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs, said.

Puyat “has a long and positive track record in government. We believe she is a worthy choice to replace outgoing secretary Wanda Teo,” Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting, chairman of the House committee on games and amusement, said.

“I think she is highly capable of handling the job,” said Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, chairman of the House committee on banks and financial intermediaries.

“The right person for the right job,” Isabela Rep. Rodito Albano, a member of the 12-man House CA contingent, said.

Meanwhile, Piñol said DA undersecretary for policy and planning Segfredo Serrano will take over rice importation matters from Puyat.

Piñol, who is currently in Batanes, says the DA will have a meeting tomorrow to discuss new roles at the department.

The appointment of Puyat has also spawned reports that Jose Gabriel La Viña will replace her as DA undersecretary.

Just two weeks ago, La Viña was appointed as tourism undersecretary. He was Social Security System commissioner for more than a year before his dismissal in February due to alleged abuse of public funds.

“I am still waiting for the official communication on the matter, if it is indeed true,” La Viña said in a text message to The STAR.

“I am and will continue to be a strong supporter of the President. For the record, I believe Usec. Berna is an excellent choice for DOT. She is beautiful, diligent and bright,” he added, referring to the new tourism chief by her nickname. – With Robertzon Ramirez, Louise Maureen Simeon, Paolo Romero, Delon Porcalla,  Christina Mendez

Killing Workplace

My column in Mindanao Daily Mirror

I have experienced it many times. I have written about it many times. Nothing changed yet. Of course not! 

Fact is, nowadays, the modern workplace can inflict dangerous levels of stress on employees even more then decades ago. Jeffrey Pfeffer, author of "Dying for a Paycheck" , argues that these practices don’t help companies – and warns governments are ignoring an emerging public health crisis.

Jeffrey Pfeffer is not the only one. Hundreds more followed Pfeffer's foot steps. 

An Uber software engineer making a six-figure income killed himself in 2016, with his family blaming workplace stress. A 21-year-old Merrill Lynch intern collapsed and died in London after working 72 hours straight. When Arcelormittal closed a steel plant that it had taken over, a 56-year old employee died of a heart attack three weeks later. His family said it was the shock. And the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has reported that over half of the 550 million working days lost annually from absenteeism “are stress related”. 

I apologize, but I am still waiting for Asian figures.

In 2015, an analysis of almost 300 studies found that harmful workplace practices were as bad for mortality, and as likely to lead to a physician-diagnosed illness, as second-hand smoke, a known – and regulated – carcinogen.

Harmful workplace practices include things like long working hours, work-family conflict, economic insecurity arising from job losses and not having regular or predictable work hours, an absence of job control and, in the US, not having health insurance.

Your supervisor is more important to your health than your family doctor. That's not my quotation but by Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller.

The workplace is making people sick and even killing them – and people should care. With rising health-care costs all over the world, the workplace has become an important public health problem. “According to the Mayo clinic, your supervisor is more important to your health than your family doctor,” Bob Chapman, CEO of the manufacturing firm Barry-Wehmiller, told the entire world.

The World Economic Forum estimates that some three-quarters of health-care spending worldwide is for chronic disease and non-communicable diseases account for 63 percent of all deaths. Chronic disease comes from stress and the unhealthy behaviours such as smoking, drinking, taking drugs and overeating that stress induces. Numerous surveys show that the workplace is a leading cause of stress, and it is thus one important cause of the health care crisis.

The aptly-named American Institute of Stress claims that workplace stress costs the American economy some $300bn each year. A paper I co-authored in a leading peer-reviewed journal estimated that there were 120,000 extra deaths annually in the US from harmful management practices, and that extra health-care costs were $190bn each year. That would make the workplace the fifth leading cause of death, worse than kidney disease or Alzheimer’s. In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive reported that 12.5 million working days were lost from work-related stress, depression or anxiety in 2016-2017. 

Work practices that are bad for people don’t even help the company. Very clear. But who cares?

None of this is necessary, because the work practices that are bad for people don’t help the company, either. Long working hours are negatively related to per-hour productivity at the both the national and industry level.  Although it may seem counterintuitive, layoffs or redundancies do not improve organisational performance and often drive the best employees to leave, and because of direct costs such as severance and indirect costs such as losing people with strong relationships with customers, frequently do not even save money.  For decades research has shown that giving people more control over how and when they do their jobs increases motivation and engagement.

Not surprisingly, stressed employees are more likely to quit – and turnover is expensive.  And systematic research demonstrates what ought to be obvious – sick, stressed employees aren’t as proficient or productive in their work as those that are healthier. Look into a mirror! Maybe you feel the same while reading this.

Every indication is that work is getting worse. Job cuts, which used to occur only in tough economic times, are now routine. When 3G Capital combined food giants Heinz and Kraft, 20 percent of the workforce got the axe as the company consolidated manufacturing and removed overlapping functions.

The “gig economy” means that economic insecurity is higher as people don’t know what their income will be from one week to the next. Scheduling software that permits retailers and other businesses such as hotels and restaurants to have only the people that analytics predict will be needed means that workers often face fluctuating incomes and don’t have much ability to arrange for coping with family responsibilities.

Few leaders seem to understand that when people come to work for them, those individuals have placed their physical and psychological well-being in the leaders’ hands

Most fundamentally, in the 1950s and 1960s CEOs saw their job as balancing their obligations to shareholders, customers, employees and the community – so-called “stakeholder capitalism”. Now shareholder interests dominate. Few leaders seem to understand that when people come to work for them, those individuals have placed their physical and psychological well-being in the leaders’ hands.

But some leaders are taking this idea of stewardship seriously. Companies such as Patagonia, Collective Health, SAS Institute, Google, John Lewis Partnership – which is employee-owned – and Zillow provide a template of what might be different. As I said SOME leaders. Really only a very few. Not enough. I guess most leaders really don't care about their staffs.

People get paid time off and are expected to use it. Managers don’t send e-mails or texts at all hours – people work, go home and have time to relax and refresh. The organisations offer accommodations so that people can have both a job and a family life. People are treated like adults and have control over what they do and how they do it to meet their job responsibilities, not micromanaged.

Most importantly, the companies are led by individuals who take their obligations to their people seriously. SAS Institute has a chief health officer whose job is not just to control costs but also to ensure employees are as healthy as possible.  Bob Chapman recognises that everyone who comes to work at Barry-Wehmiller is “someone’s precious child” or family member.

People need to choose their employer not just for salary and promotion opportunities but on the basis of whether the job will be good for their psychological and physical health. Business leaders should measure the health of their workforce, not just profits. 

And governments concerned about the health-care cost crisis need to focus on the workplace, because workplace stress is clearly making people sick. None of this necessary – no one should be dying for a paycheck.

BSP denies Philippines' economy is overhaeting

By Lee C. Chipongian

AMRO chief economist Dr. Hoe Ee Khor said it is time for the Philippine central bank to consider adjusting monetary policy stance to avoid an overheating economy.

AMRO is the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office. “There are signs of overheating for the Philippine economy and at the same, I am saying that these are just emerging signs, it doesn’t mean that the economy will get worse,” said Khor. “The whole idea is to try to cool down the economy. The central bank should take that into consideration (moving rates) and the governor (of the central bank) is fully aware of this that there is a need.”

Khor presented AMRO’s second annual regional surveillance report on the ASEAN+3 Regional Economic Outlook (AREO) which assesses regional economic outlook and financial stability, and the discussion is part of the 51st Asian Development Bank briefings.

In the 2018 AREO report, it placed the country’s business and credit cycles in the “late” stage, along with Japan. The business cycles are in the “early,” “mid,” “late,” and “downturn.” According to Khor, most economies in the region are at mid-business cycles where output gap is small and there is stable inflation. In the credit cycle, credit growth in most economies is “slowing after the peak” or an above-trend growth, stimulated by policy actions.

The Philippines is among those economies with a slowing business and credit cycle, with Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia and Singapore, however except for the Philippines, the rest on the list are in the “mid” cycle.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo, while appreciating the analysis behind the AMRO metrics for business and credit cycles, disagreed with the Philippines’ spot and belied symptoms of an overheating. Economies in the “late” listing indicates overheating concerns. Those in the “mid” cycles, in the meantime, would not require further policy stimulus to support growth such as most ASEAN countries plus Hong Kong.

“Supposed to be, when you are in the ‘late’ business cycle and you are slowing credit cycle, people would readily equate that with some overheating. That may not be true in the case of the Philippines,” Guinigundo said later after presentation. He was commentator to the AREO report.

Guinigundo said there is a higher demand for liquidity and even as credit continues to grow, and output growth “while maybe higher than average” – these numbers are still consistent with the potential output which the BSP assess is between 6.5 percent to seven percent. “It depends what kind of potential output AMRO has computed. In our case… it is still consistent with our computed potential output.”

“For us, we are not into an overheating mode,” he stressed. He cited the methodologies used by the Bank for International Settlements and the International Monetary Fund to further monitor evidence of overheating.

Khor emphasized the need for policymakers in the region to build policy space, especially in monetary policy, in view of a global tightening of financial conditions. “It’s time for authorities (BSP) to take measures to ensure (economy) does not get overheated. Doing a bit of tightening would make sure inflation will come back down.”

A chance of religiousness?

A CHANCE OF RELIGIOUSNESS?

One of the most important parts in my life is the belief in supernatural power which governs the universe. It doesn't matter which religion we belong to or believe in: the recognition of God as object of worship. The form of worship should be our primacy need.

During my stay in several Western countries, I experienced icy and conceited comments such as religiousness isn't popular any more. Religiousness makes people unwilling and morose because of exaggeration and sometimes even hypocrisy.

Increasing negative headlines about the "institutional church" nowadays and also in the past, and embarrassing comparisons lead only to discord. 

How comes? We want to see the religiosity of our fellow creatures. We want to understand their ideology. 

But we are also poking our nose into other people's business too much. Let's look behind the scenes and let's find out what religious behavior promotes: humility in actual life. Maybe. It's hard for us to do without affecting others. We even forget the real meaning of religiousness. St. John Crysostom subscribed the topic "Pagans and Christians" very well: "There would be no pagans if we were good Christians. But the pagans see us manifesting the same desires, pursuing the same objects - power and honor - as themselves, how can they admire Christianity?

They see our lives open to reproach and our souls worldly. We admire wealth equally with them and even more. How, then, can they believe? From miracles? But these are no longer wrought. From our conversion? It has become corrupt. From charity? Not a trace of it is anywhere seen. (Quotation "Winnowing Fan", Vol. XX, June 2003, S of G Foundation, Makati).

I am proud to have people in my surroundings who taught be how to be on the right track - unconcerned and unnoticed. Natural and uninhibited, they showed me how to put real religiousness into action besides praying and going regularly to church. I call such people religious. I mean it as praise because they don't like to blow their trumpets while a acting as Christians in our daily life. Having such people around us make it easier to practice forgiveness... .

I'll be back on air soon. It's Mango Radio 102.7 FM proudly broadcasting from Davao City and Zamboanga City. It's a mission-oriented radio station. I am blessed being together with all these wonderful religious people.

Best wishes and goodbye

My column in MINDANAO DAILY

When letters were the only form of written correspondence, signing off was obvious. Actually I am still  adopting that old tradition. No matter, if it comes to letters or emails. It's just a matter of respect and education.

If addressing a sir or madam, it was unambiguous. You concluded "yours faithfully". When writing to a specific person – for example, a Mr or (hey, ladies first!) – it was simple, your letter would always be signed off "yours sincerely". Only missives to family or close friends would ever finish with a "love from" or "with much love, yours".

For many people, there's a weird status thing when it comes to the more blunt you are in emails. I'm asking myself, why? An email is just a letter - an online one ... .

Sad to say,  the arrival of email has disrupted this etiquette, making the rules far less obvious. Indeed, for many of us there are no rules. A whole subculture of personalized email sign-offs has emerged everything from "TTFN" to "peace out". And of course, it’s not just what we say but why we say it. Neither in English nor in any other language. I get the same stuff in German written emails and even letters or text messages.

"Emails have become the medium of business, leisure, family, love and everything,” says children’s author Michael Rosen. When we sign off emails, we try to give off the "right vibe", he adds. He says it’s all about how we want to come across to the recipient. "Thoughtful, grateful or just very, very busy?" Oh sure, we are all so very, very busy... .

Some of the most successful business people are notoriously blunt in email communication – if they even bother with a sign-off at all.

"There's a weird status thing when it comes to the more blunt you are in emails, the more you can be (blunt) because you're senior in the company," says author Emma Gannon, recalling the editor of a famous newspaper whose response to pitches was often just a curt "yep" or "nope".

Although being succinct can convey a certain authority and status, it also communicates a dose of self-importance or arrogance. And we’ve all dealt with bosses who fire off email edicts of "is this done?" or "update me on that".

Even if they are not so direct, many emailers like to convey a sense of being busy by using or adapting abbreviations. So "kind regards" becomes "KR", or "yours" may do away with pesky vowels to leave "yrs". Heaven forbid!

"When someone signed off 'BR' for 'best regards', I just thought they were cold, brrr," says Gannon. And, in my opinion, sorry to say, I even don't reply anymore after receiving such correspondence. Oh sure, we are all busy, but there should be just a minimum of respect, if I communicate with someone. In business or personal. By letter, email or text message. 

Many times, there are those who pare it down to the absolute minimum, signing off with simply their name or even just the initial letter of their forename. Others might omit a sign off altogether. While this may come across as peremptory or rude, at least it avoids misinterpretation.

Nearly formal but not totally formal, but they're not as informal as 'CU in a MNT on bus OMW'. 

Some people swing the other way and end their emails with an altogether friendlier tone. While most would consider that kisses have no place in a business environment, they often creep into emails – and sometimes from people the recipient has never even met. For some, an "x" at the end of an email is a friendly endnote; for others it is totally inappropriate.

Even just calling someone by first name, is not the way how it should be in business.

What’s clear is that some British terms used to end emails just do not translate well. A casual "cheers" is frequently used as a sign off on UK emails, but can be utterly perplexing for other nationalities. Not surprising when a hearty "cheers" also can be used for clinking glasses at the pub, or to thank a checkout person at the supermarket. Here we have to deal with British and American English.

For author Michael Rosen, emails now occupy a halfway house between texts and letters.

"The key thing is that emails aren't the same as letters. I position them in my mind as a sort of halfway place between texts and hard copy letters: nearly formal but not totally formal, but they're not as informal as 'CU in a MNT on bus OMW'," says Rosen. I strongly agree with him.

And, he adds given their place in this ambiguous no-man’s land of communication, it follows that there will continue to be a whole raft of ways to say "goodbye".

Best wishes and goodbye.

Filipinos relieved by divorce ruling

Divorce obtained abroad by a Filipina married to a foreigner recognized by Philippine top court...

Image Credit: Istockphoto

Published: 17:23 April 25, 2018

Janice Ponce de Leon, Staff Reporter

 

Dubai: Divorce obtained abroad and initiated by Filipinos with foreign spouses will now be recognised in the Philippines in a landmark ruling by its Supreme Court.

The Philippines’ top court on Tuesday ruled in favour of Marelyn Tanedo Manalo, a Filipina divorced from her Japanese husband.

Manalo’s divorce was granted in Japan in 2011. Based on Philippine laws, however, a local court must recognise the ruling before it can be considered valid in the Philippines.

Divorce is legal around the world except in two nation-states — the Philippines and the Vatican. An absolute divorce bill is pending in congress.

Marriages in the Philippines can be dissolved in two ways: through a declaration of nullity or through annulment.

Attorney Barney Almazar, director of Gulf Law and counsel of some Filipinos seeking annulment and divorce in the UAE, said the ruling makes the process easier for Filipinos seeking recognition for their foreign divorce decree. But it is limited in scope.

“Once the foreign decree is recognised, the court will order the civil registrar to dissolve the marriage and annotate the marriage certificate accordingly. This process may take about a year but is definitely faster, cheaper and less complicated than annulment,” Almazar told Gulf News.

Manalo’s court proceedings ran for nearly seven years from the Regional Trial Court until it reached the Supreme Court (SC).

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Almazar noted, however, that the ruling does not apply to two Filipinos seeking divorce.

“Marriages between two Filipinos are not covered by this exemption. If the parties are both Filipinos, only annulment or declaration of nullity of marriage will dissolve the marriage. Divorce secured between two Filipinos will be valid worldwide except in the Philippines and the Vatican,” Almazar said.

“The parties to a divorce may find themselves in a peculiar situation where they have two marital statuses — married in the Philippines and single in the rest of the world,” he added.

Gulf News last week reported the case of Jun, a Filipino who got a divorce in the UAE but is still technically married in the Philippines. Their annulment proceedings have been ongoing for the past three years.

Jun earlier said he favours the divorce bill to be enacted as the annulment process takes a long time and has already burnt a hole in their pockets.

Prior to the SC ruling, only divorce secured by the foreign spouse will capacitate the Filipino partner to remarry. The latter can now remarry even if he or she was the initiator of the divorce, according to the ruling.

Boracay's final day sees ...

... mad rush to sell food, souvenirs

One more swim marks sentimental good-bye to the Philippine island’s talc beaches

Published: 22:08 April 25, 2018

Barbara Mae Dacanay, Correspondent

 

Manila: Restaurants and stores rushed to sell food and souvenir items. Tourists dipped for the last time into the blue sea. Others griped about the presence of Coast Guard vessels, Navy Seals, and police.

Boracay — its unforgettable white and talc-like beach drew two million tourists into central Philippines in 2017 — would be closed for environment rehabilitation for six months starting April 26.

“All I wanna say (about Boracay) stuck in my damn throat,” journalist and nature lover Teddy Montelibano said on his Facebook account.

In reaction to a well-guarded Boracay on the eve of its closure, lawyer Pilo Hilbay complained on Facebook: “The government acts as if they (tourists, local residents, business owners and resort workers) are the enemies.”

“We’ve been selling food at a discount before closing shop,” fast food worker Paula Padalhin told ABS-CBN, a TV network.

“Before Boracay’s closure, we cooked only six kilos of meat per day. In better times, we would cook 60 kilos of meat a day. We stopped serving expensive steaks and ribs. We just served Filipino food like sinigang (fish in sour soup); adobo (meat in vinegar and soy sauce); and sisig (sautéed pig head and liver with lemon and chili) — to finish our stock and recover losses,” Ronald Marquez, supervisor of Willy’s Rock Bar, said on TV.

“Before Boracay’s last day, beers and soft drinks were sold by volumes, if not given away, to staff members,” Marquez said.

“Boracay shirts were sold at 100 pesos (Dh7) each, from a 300-peso price tag. Tourists took home keepsakes before they said good-bye to Boracay.” Franco Dacillo of Island Souvenirs also said on TV.

“We are not saying goodbye. We are preparing for the new phase of Boracay. We are compliant, we are not worried,” Shirley Parcon, manager of Casa Pilar, told Gulf News in a phone interview. The 82-room boutique hotel on a one-hectare lot on Boracay’s Station Three — owned by former mayor Jose Yap, who served from 2010 to 2016 — would be vacant for six months.

“I’m happy. Our identification cards would allow residents to swim in Boracay while it’s totally closed to tourists,” Alina Sarvaez told Gulf News. She did not mind complaints about alleged fraud in the issuance of IDs.

“Boracay’s closure will mean loss of 1.96 billion pesos in six months. It will not affect the country’s GDP,” socio-economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said to allay fears.

But One Boracay, a group of stakeholders, calculated that 56 billion pesos in tourism revenues would be lost due to the tourist ban.

The government has released 2 billion pesos for salaries of 19,000 displaced resort workers, who will be hired to dismantle structures built on creeks, forest, watersheds and wetland areas, near and over the beach. “They will help solve Boracay’s two problems: flooding and environment degradation,” said Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu,

In February, Cimatu discussed with the Ayala Group, owner of Manila Water Company and its subsidiary, the Boracay Island Water Company, Inc. (a water concessionaire), to expand the latter’s waste water treatment services and solve Boracay’s problematic sewage system.

“Some 300 out of 800 establishments in Boracay were found dumping untreated waste water directly into the sea or canals. They were advised to connect to BIWC’s sewage treatment plant or construct their own wastewater treatment facilities,” said Cimatu, adding his department’s Pollution Adjudication Board will slap penalties to non-compliant companies. He did not reveal the government’s total outlay for the rehabilitation of Boracay’s bad sewage system.

On March 5, Duterte approved Boracay’s total closure, after calling it a cesspool in February. He announced transforming Boracay’s 1,000 hectares into land reform area; and rejected plans of Macau-based Galaxy Entertainment and its Filipino partner, Leisure and Resorts World Corp (LRWC), to build a $ 500-million casino-resort in Boracay.

In 2017, TripAdvisor ranked Boracay one of the world’s top 25. In 2012, Travel and Leisure magazine declared Boracay the world’s best beach island. Conde Nast Traveler has consistently praised Boracay.

Department of Tourism warns tourists against bogus travel agents

DOT warns tourists against bogus travel agents

Enlarge Photo

By Bing J. Jaleco 

MANILA, Philippines - DOT Secretary Wanda Teo said hundreds of thousands of Filipino tourists travel domestically during the summer period. 

With the summer season officially on in the Philippines, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reminded the public against bogus travel agencies, which usually offer “too-good-to-be-true” tour packages online. 

DOT Secretary Wanda Teo said hundreds of thousands of Filipino tourists travel domestically during the summer period. 

Based on DOT statistics, at least seven million Filipinos travel around the country between April and May, with Cebu as the top destination for locals. 

With this, Teo said, the public must be ‘WISE’ in their travel plans, an acronym for “Work out your travel plans; Identify tour and travel agencies; See tourism quality seal; and Engage accredited service providers only.” 

The DOT launched the ‘WISE’ campaign last year to help locals avoid being scammed by fake travel agencies that are prevalent on social media. 

“We are in close coordination with the DOT regional offices to make sure that the list of accredited establishment and services are updated and posted in strategic locations, such as airports, terminals, and ports for easy reference,” Teo said. 

She advised the public to verify the legitimacy of travel and tour companies by calling DOT regional offices, or by visiting DOT’s database online at www.accreditationonline.tourism.gov.ph. 

Teo said travellers can also judge the authenticity of the travel agency by checking the tourism quality seal displayed at their offices, websites, and social media accounts. 

She warned DOT-accredited travel agencies found to be involved in illegal activities would be stripped of their accreditation