Friday-Saturday, January 13-14, 2006 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
News
BY ROULEE JANE F. CALAYAG, Reporter
88,000 call center jobs seen in 2008
Eighty-eight thousand jobs are expected by 2008 from a partnership that will develop 400 to 500 small-and medium-sized call centers nationwide.
The partnership among tertiary education network STI, California-based solutions provider Five9, the Jobs Generation Office under the Office of the President, and the John F. Kennedy Center Foundation Philippines targets to make the Philippines the world’s next global customer care capital after India.
Under the agreement, the government will provide the policy environment; Five 9, the technology; JFK Center Foundation, the training; and STI, the infrastructure and manpower.
STI President Monico Jacob said the direction is to establish small and medium-sized call centers in STI facilities, with around 20 to 50 seats each.
He added that 80 STI campuses will be transformed into call centers at night with a pilot call center to be established in the STI Makati College campus this month.
Reuel Virtucio, STI vice-president, said the program will boost the employment rate with more graduates getting jobs in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.
STRONG RIPPLE
Junie Pama, Five9 country manager, said that employment in the ICT sector through the partnership would cause strong ripple effects in the economies of the 200 congressional districts in the Philippines.
He added that with more offices to be opened by Five9 in coming months in Baguio, Dagupan, Cebu, Iloilo and Davao, the jobs that will be generated may even exceed projections.
Celso Santiago, president and chief executive of the JFK Center Foundation, said the American organization "wants to fix the issue of quality which will be a global consideration over the long term."
Brian Silverman, Five9 president and chief executive, said the firm chose the Philippines as its headquarters in Southeast Asia because it offers the largest growth potential.
"We intend to build up our Asian presence through strategic alliances from our base in Manila," he said.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Jack Hirschman, poet of the people
SAN FRANCISCO
A poet laureate of the people
Newsom taps Jack Hirschman to 'challenge the status quo'
Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Two years ago, Jack Hirschman, a social activist and communist, backed
Matt Gonzalez's run for San Francisco mayor. On Thursday, the business
community's candidate and victor in that race, Mayor Gavin Newsom, will
officially name him the city's new poet laureate.
Hirschman, who at 72 has been a prominent figure in American poetry
with a half-century of published work, is scheduled to accept the post at
noon at a City Hall ceremony. Four hours later, he plans to be reading
poetry on the steps of the State Building in San Francisco at a
demonstration against the death penalty.
That should surprise no one. For Hirschman has used his words and his
body to protest injustice for decades.
What may be more surprising is that Newsom selected him to serve as San
Francisco poet laureate.
Hirschman, who has been arrested numerous times in social protest, was
a notable supporter of Gonzalez, the then-president of the Board of
Supervisors and Green Party member who was Newsom's chief opponent in the
2003 mayor's race. Hirschman described his candidate as a political
leader dedicated to transforming "the system of same-old machine politics
and corruption.''
Despite comments like that, or maybe because of them, Newsom, a
dedicated Democrat who came into office endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce
and real estate developers, said Hirschman was the right person for the
poet laureate post.
"I want that position to be more audacious, more exciting, to shake
things up,'' Newsom told The Chronicle. "I want someone who will challenge
the status quo.''
Hirschman's reaction: "That's excellent. I like statements like that.''
The San Francisco poet laureate program began under Mayor Willie Brown
in 1998. Since then, three poets have held the title: Lawrence
Ferlinghetti, Janice Mirikitani and devorah major. Hirschman is Newsom's first
appointment to the non-paying post.
The mayor was presented with a list of three candidates selected by a
search committee headed by City Librarian Luis Herrera that included
poets Bob Booker and Jewelle Gomez, and Joyce Jenkins, editor of Poetry
Flash, a poetry review focused on the West Coast. Newsom said he had
reviewed the panel's recommendations, read the finalists' work and
consulted with his father, retired state judge William Newsom, who holds a
master's degree in English literature from Stanford.
"On the basis of all that I made my decision," Newsom said. "I know
Jack Hirschman's obviously a charged pick, with all these layers of
intrigue. But it's not like I'm appointing him planning commissioner.''
"That he chose me I find really admirable,'' Hirschman said of Newsom.
"But then he's done some other things in office that, if not
provocative, certainly got people's attention.''
Topping his list: Newsom's decision in 2004 to grant marriage licenses
in San Francisco to same-sex couples. Hirschman praised Newsom's gay
marriage stance, describing it as forward-thinking and bold, and also
lauded the mayor's efforts to help some segments of the homeless
population.
The role of San Francisco poet laureate comes with few guidelines. He
or she must deliver an inaugural address on the state of poetry in San
Francisco, read at Litquake -- an annual literary festival in the city
-- and work on poetry programs in the community.
To be considered for the post, the person must be a San Francisco
resident who has written at least one full-length book of poetry -- not
self-published -- and has had at least 20 poems appear in well-established
publications.
Hirschman, a North Beach resident who embodies the bohemian lifestyle
that made the neighborhood famous, is prolific. Emerging as a poet
during the Beat Generation, he has written more than 70 books -- his first
was published in 1953. He has translated dozens more from Spanish,
German, Greek, French, Hebrew, Russian and tongues not so common, such as
Haitian Creole and Albanian. His work, as an editor and a poet, has been
published in literary journals, magazines and newspapers.
Gonzalez said it didn't surprise him that Newsom had chosen Hirschman.
"It would be hard to pass over a writer like him,'' said Gonzalez, a
friend of Hirschman's and his bibliographer. "It's sort of like
conferring on him this title that people have already given him. He is the poet
laureate.''
Nancy Peters, who runs City Lights Publishing and edited Hirschman's
book "Lyripol" 30 years ago, agreed.
"Jack is someone who lives for poetry,'' said Peters, who co-owns the
venerable City Lights bookstore in North Beach with Ferlinghetti. "He
has a wonderful ability to combine social justice with a lyric voice.''
Hirschman believes the greatest poets are those who are provocative and
prophetic and who, as Newsom says of him, challenge the status quo, he
said.
Hirschman called his being selected San Francisco poet laureate an
honor for him personally "and I think a very small victory for the people's
movement, which has had very few victories recently in this chaotic
world.''
Reference : http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/11/BAG54GLJFL1.DTL&hw=jack+hirschman&sn=001&sc=1000
A poet laureate of the people
Newsom taps Jack Hirschman to 'challenge the status quo'
Rachel Gordon, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Two years ago, Jack Hirschman, a social activist and communist, backed
Matt Gonzalez's run for San Francisco mayor. On Thursday, the business
community's candidate and victor in that race, Mayor Gavin Newsom, will
officially name him the city's new poet laureate.
Hirschman, who at 72 has been a prominent figure in American poetry
with a half-century of published work, is scheduled to accept the post at
noon at a City Hall ceremony. Four hours later, he plans to be reading
poetry on the steps of the State Building in San Francisco at a
demonstration against the death penalty.
That should surprise no one. For Hirschman has used his words and his
body to protest injustice for decades.
What may be more surprising is that Newsom selected him to serve as San
Francisco poet laureate.
Hirschman, who has been arrested numerous times in social protest, was
a notable supporter of Gonzalez, the then-president of the Board of
Supervisors and Green Party member who was Newsom's chief opponent in the
2003 mayor's race. Hirschman described his candidate as a political
leader dedicated to transforming "the system of same-old machine politics
and corruption.''
Despite comments like that, or maybe because of them, Newsom, a
dedicated Democrat who came into office endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce
and real estate developers, said Hirschman was the right person for the
poet laureate post.
"I want that position to be more audacious, more exciting, to shake
things up,'' Newsom told The Chronicle. "I want someone who will challenge
the status quo.''
Hirschman's reaction: "That's excellent. I like statements like that.''
The San Francisco poet laureate program began under Mayor Willie Brown
in 1998. Since then, three poets have held the title: Lawrence
Ferlinghetti, Janice Mirikitani and devorah major. Hirschman is Newsom's first
appointment to the non-paying post.
The mayor was presented with a list of three candidates selected by a
search committee headed by City Librarian Luis Herrera that included
poets Bob Booker and Jewelle Gomez, and Joyce Jenkins, editor of Poetry
Flash, a poetry review focused on the West Coast. Newsom said he had
reviewed the panel's recommendations, read the finalists' work and
consulted with his father, retired state judge William Newsom, who holds a
master's degree in English literature from Stanford.
"On the basis of all that I made my decision," Newsom said. "I know
Jack Hirschman's obviously a charged pick, with all these layers of
intrigue. But it's not like I'm appointing him planning commissioner.''
"That he chose me I find really admirable,'' Hirschman said of Newsom.
"But then he's done some other things in office that, if not
provocative, certainly got people's attention.''
Topping his list: Newsom's decision in 2004 to grant marriage licenses
in San Francisco to same-sex couples. Hirschman praised Newsom's gay
marriage stance, describing it as forward-thinking and bold, and also
lauded the mayor's efforts to help some segments of the homeless
population.
The role of San Francisco poet laureate comes with few guidelines. He
or she must deliver an inaugural address on the state of poetry in San
Francisco, read at Litquake -- an annual literary festival in the city
-- and work on poetry programs in the community.
To be considered for the post, the person must be a San Francisco
resident who has written at least one full-length book of poetry -- not
self-published -- and has had at least 20 poems appear in well-established
publications.
Hirschman, a North Beach resident who embodies the bohemian lifestyle
that made the neighborhood famous, is prolific. Emerging as a poet
during the Beat Generation, he has written more than 70 books -- his first
was published in 1953. He has translated dozens more from Spanish,
German, Greek, French, Hebrew, Russian and tongues not so common, such as
Haitian Creole and Albanian. His work, as an editor and a poet, has been
published in literary journals, magazines and newspapers.
Gonzalez said it didn't surprise him that Newsom had chosen Hirschman.
"It would be hard to pass over a writer like him,'' said Gonzalez, a
friend of Hirschman's and his bibliographer. "It's sort of like
conferring on him this title that people have already given him. He is the poet
laureate.''
Nancy Peters, who runs City Lights Publishing and edited Hirschman's
book "Lyripol" 30 years ago, agreed.
"Jack is someone who lives for poetry,'' said Peters, who co-owns the
venerable City Lights bookstore in North Beach with Ferlinghetti. "He
has a wonderful ability to combine social justice with a lyric voice.''
Hirschman believes the greatest poets are those who are provocative and
prophetic and who, as Newsom says of him, challenge the status quo, he
said.
Hirschman called his being selected San Francisco poet laureate an
honor for him personally "and I think a very small victory for the people's
movement, which has had very few victories recently in this chaotic
world.''
Reference : http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/11/BAG54GLJFL1.DTL&hw=jack+hirschman&sn=001&sc=1000
Civil liberties in India threatened
Civil Liberties Monitoring committee, India
Amber pet, Hyderabad, A.P, India, 500013
Phone:-09391051586, Fax:-040-27403392, Email: -clmci@hotmail
People and Mass organizations, come forward
to protect the life of Lateef Mohd Khan
Civil liberties monitoring committee express its deep concern over the
failure of govt for providing protection to life of Lateef Mohd Khan.
(Secretery.CLMC). CLMC, has done all the formalities Registering
complain in Amberpet Police station, a memorandum submitted through fax to the
governer, chief Minister, Home Minister, DGP, commissioner of Police.
Complain also registered in State human right commission. Mrs Rayees
fatima wife of Lateef mohd khan sent the telegrammed to the Chief justice
of A.P with a request to intervene and pray the chief justice to
“kindly save the life of my husband and to direct the authorities to provide
sufficient protection to my husband lateef Mohd khan.”
State human right commission conducted the emergency meeting and passed
the order that The director General of police is directed to afford
necessary protection to the lives of lateef mohd khan and his family
members, and also directed to take the necessary action against person who
made such threatening calls.
But till date no action has been taken and nor the protection is
provided. President CLMC requested so many times to governor office for
appointment to present the matter before him, but still there is no response
from the governor’s office.
It is a matter of great concerned that after providing all threaten
call phone and cell numbers and tracing out of numbers i.e. 08728259643,
08549273693, 08549273344, 08414223565, 9441118250, police and govt
failed to arrest the culprits.
The person who threatens was speaking in fluent Telugu and introduced
him self-first as Rasool Khan of Pakistan Talwar, and then after
Bharath Talwar.
He threatened to stop talking on issues related to civil liberties, and
to stop conducting press conferences and issuing statements to media,
particularly on and against the mujeeb’s issue, further caller also
warned to lateef mohd khan to resign from civil liberties and its
activities with in four days, he threaten if Lateef mohd khan failed to fulfill
their demands they will kill lateef Mohd Khan and his family and will
make pieces of the bodies.
Lateef Mohd Khan is working for the protection of human rights, civil
liberties, social justice and welfare of down trodden people with out
any discrimination under the banner of CIVIL LIBERTIES MONITORING
COMMITTEE, INIDA, he is a well known person, recently in a press conference he
condemn the custodial violence and Israeli methods of torturing and
criticized the elements responsible for the same, and he also criticizes
the govt for the release of mujeeb and a politician and police behind
its. He demanded the judicial enquiry to expose the nexus in-between
govt, police and mafia groups.
The persons who threaten have given 4 days time, which is completed
today; inspite of so many efforts govt didn’t response and not provided
any protection to lateef Mohd Khan.
Hence Iam herewith appeal with the people and mass organization to come
forward to protect the lives of Lateef mohd Kahn and his family. At
this high time mass organization should come forward to protect the civil
liberties and democratic rights, Iam reminding the duty of mass
organizations to break the silence for the greater cause of humanity,
democracy, and to uphold the secular values
Dr.Rehana Sultana
President CLMC
Amber pet, Hyderabad, A.P, India, 500013
Phone:-09391051586, Fax:-040-27403392, Email: -clmci@hotmail
People and Mass organizations, come forward
to protect the life of Lateef Mohd Khan
Civil liberties monitoring committee express its deep concern over the
failure of govt for providing protection to life of Lateef Mohd Khan.
(Secretery.CLMC). CLMC, has done all the formalities Registering
complain in Amberpet Police station, a memorandum submitted through fax to the
governer, chief Minister, Home Minister, DGP, commissioner of Police.
Complain also registered in State human right commission. Mrs Rayees
fatima wife of Lateef mohd khan sent the telegrammed to the Chief justice
of A.P with a request to intervene and pray the chief justice to
“kindly save the life of my husband and to direct the authorities to provide
sufficient protection to my husband lateef Mohd khan.”
State human right commission conducted the emergency meeting and passed
the order that The director General of police is directed to afford
necessary protection to the lives of lateef mohd khan and his family
members, and also directed to take the necessary action against person who
made such threatening calls.
But till date no action has been taken and nor the protection is
provided. President CLMC requested so many times to governor office for
appointment to present the matter before him, but still there is no response
from the governor’s office.
It is a matter of great concerned that after providing all threaten
call phone and cell numbers and tracing out of numbers i.e. 08728259643,
08549273693, 08549273344, 08414223565, 9441118250, police and govt
failed to arrest the culprits.
The person who threatens was speaking in fluent Telugu and introduced
him self-first as Rasool Khan of Pakistan Talwar, and then after
Bharath Talwar.
He threatened to stop talking on issues related to civil liberties, and
to stop conducting press conferences and issuing statements to media,
particularly on and against the mujeeb’s issue, further caller also
warned to lateef mohd khan to resign from civil liberties and its
activities with in four days, he threaten if Lateef mohd khan failed to fulfill
their demands they will kill lateef Mohd Khan and his family and will
make pieces of the bodies.
Lateef Mohd Khan is working for the protection of human rights, civil
liberties, social justice and welfare of down trodden people with out
any discrimination under the banner of CIVIL LIBERTIES MONITORING
COMMITTEE, INIDA, he is a well known person, recently in a press conference he
condemn the custodial violence and Israeli methods of torturing and
criticized the elements responsible for the same, and he also criticizes
the govt for the release of mujeeb and a politician and police behind
its. He demanded the judicial enquiry to expose the nexus in-between
govt, police and mafia groups.
The persons who threaten have given 4 days time, which is completed
today; inspite of so many efforts govt didn’t response and not provided
any protection to lateef Mohd Khan.
Hence Iam herewith appeal with the people and mass organization to come
forward to protect the lives of Lateef mohd Kahn and his family. At
this high time mass organization should come forward to protect the civil
liberties and democratic rights, Iam reminding the duty of mass
organizations to break the silence for the greater cause of humanity,
democracy, and to uphold the secular values
Dr.Rehana Sultana
President CLMC
Friday, January 13, 2006
To Telco giants: Make cheap promo call rates permanent
MessagePRESS RELEASE
January 10, 2006
Consumer Group TXTPOWER Challenges Telco Giants: Make cheap promo call
rates permanent and standard
Citing the capacity of cellphone service providers to offer cheap per
minute call rates in their promotions, the consumer advocacy group
TXTPower seeks to make these rates permanent and standard over all networks.
"With Smart's FLAT RATE, Globe's CELEBRATE, Sun's UNLIMITED promos,
these telcos have shown consumers that cheap calls and text is possible
and in fact profitable for the companies," said Trixie Concepcion,
TXTPower convenor and AGHAM secretary general.
With the Philippines tagged as one of the fastest growing cellphone
markets and with nearly 30 million mobile phone user base, lowering of
call rates can make calls as popular as text messaging.
"Making these promo rates permanent can lower telecommunications costs
unlike the trend of high and rising cost of other utilities. This can
be a big help to the Filipino people this new year", Concepcion
explained. "In fact, some telcos have shown that they can charge calls by the
second which can optimize the load that cell phone users have. This
should be a standard over all networks."
"In addition, unsolicited (spam) text messages, network congestion,
dropped calls, failed message-sending, delayed message receipt and
difficulties in loading prepaid accounts should be addressed by these
companies to make their services reliable and accessible", added Concepcion.
"We call on the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the
government to make telcos lower their rates and provide cheap and
accessible services. It is high time that they act to put the interests of
these consumers over the large rate of profit these telcos are enjoying
amid the rising cost of almost all services and goods needed by the
consuming public," concluded Concepcion.###
January 10, 2006
Consumer Group TXTPOWER Challenges Telco Giants: Make cheap promo call
rates permanent and standard
Citing the capacity of cellphone service providers to offer cheap per
minute call rates in their promotions, the consumer advocacy group
TXTPower seeks to make these rates permanent and standard over all networks.
"With Smart's FLAT RATE, Globe's CELEBRATE, Sun's UNLIMITED promos,
these telcos have shown consumers that cheap calls and text is possible
and in fact profitable for the companies," said Trixie Concepcion,
TXTPower convenor and AGHAM secretary general.
With the Philippines tagged as one of the fastest growing cellphone
markets and with nearly 30 million mobile phone user base, lowering of
call rates can make calls as popular as text messaging.
"Making these promo rates permanent can lower telecommunications costs
unlike the trend of high and rising cost of other utilities. This can
be a big help to the Filipino people this new year", Concepcion
explained. "In fact, some telcos have shown that they can charge calls by the
second which can optimize the load that cell phone users have. This
should be a standard over all networks."
"In addition, unsolicited (spam) text messages, network congestion,
dropped calls, failed message-sending, delayed message receipt and
difficulties in loading prepaid accounts should be addressed by these
companies to make their services reliable and accessible", added Concepcion.
"We call on the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the
government to make telcos lower their rates and provide cheap and
accessible services. It is high time that they act to put the interests of
these consumers over the large rate of profit these telcos are enjoying
amid the rising cost of almost all services and goods needed by the
consuming public," concluded Concepcion.###
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