Study Shows Huge Credit Card Business Opening in PH

Only 2.5 million of the Philippines' 100 million people have credit cards, yet 71 million Filipinos have already bought airlines ticket, groceries and gadgets online, reports the Manila Bulletin. Moreover, the country's pre-paid "cardable" opportunity totaled $44 billion last year, according to global payments technology firm Visa. The bulk of the spendingt, or 38 percent, is in the general purpose sector, followed by 28 percent in overseas remittances, 12 percent in payroll, 7 percent in government, 4 percent in travel and 3 per cent in corporate.

Ethnic Media in U.S. Jointly Call for Immigration Reform

Ethnic media in the United States, in a collective editorial, called for " comprehensive immigration reform because it is the morally right, economically wise and pragmatically sensible thing to do." The editorial was released by New America Media, a coalition of more than 2,000 ethnic publications, websites and broadcast programs across the country. The editorial called the immigration system broken, "not only for the 11 million undocumented immigrants, but for the thousands of immigrants who are unable to get visas to work in the United States; for American businesses that can’t hire the workers they need; for the families who wait for years to get visas to join their relatives in the United States." It called for "immigration reform that will reunite families, reinvigorate the economy, and revive our identity as a nation that thrives on the contributions of hard-working immigrants."

Philippines is World's Social Networking Capital

Social networking is so popular among Filipinos, the country has been nicknamed “The Social Networking Capital of the World,” reports 247WallSt.com. Social network penetration is incredibly high reaching 95%.  Facebook is the country’s most popular website, more so than Google, and has a penetration rate of 93.9%.  The Philippines is also the eighth most popular country for Twitter use on a global scale, with a penetration rate of 16.1%.  The popularity of photo sharing has increased by 46% in the country in one year, largely due to Facebook.  

Philippines: Facebook: 93.9%; Twitter: 16.1%; LinkedIn: 1.9%; Internet Use: 29.7%

The Ten Nations Where Facebook Rules The Internet - 24/7 Wall St.http://247wallst.com/2011/05/09/the-ten-nations-where-facebook-rules-the-internet/#ixzz2J8gxhYpf

Commission Readies 2nd Filipino Global Summit

Manila will host the 2nd Global Summit of Filipinos in the Diaspora on February 25-27, 2013, reports the Commission for Filipinos Overseas. For this year’s summit, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has adopted the theme “Two Years Thereafter: The Best of the Philippine Diaspora,” to track the progress and highlight best practices of diaspora engagement since the launch of the Diaspora to Development (D2D) initiatives during the First Global Summit held in September 2011.

Researchers Uncover Filipinos' Untold History in Annapolis

Filipinos have been an invisible minority in Annapolis--home of the U.S. Naval Academy--for more than a century, but now researchers at the University of Maryland are using oral histories to flesh out the incredible challenges they faced and successes they celebrated, reports eSciencenews.com. After the Spanish-American War,  Filipinos were brought to Annapolis to serve as desk interns, fire fighters, construction laborers, messmen and stewards. In many cases, the Naval Academy replaced African Americans with Filipinos, leading to increased racial tensions.

No Ban on OFWs in Algeria

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said no deployment ban has been imposed on Algeria even after 81 people, including six Filipinos, died in a hostage crisis at the In Amenas gas field there, reports GMA News. DOLE is waiting for the results of the security assessment to be conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) before deciding on a deployment ban, if any. Meanwhile, DOLE is also seeking to provide high-security insurance coverage to overseas Filipino workers in high-risk areas, particularly oil and gas facilities.

TV Host Pepe Pimentel Dies at 83

Pioneering game show host Pepe Pimentel was found dead last January 24 after he reportedly slipped inside his bathroom, reports The Manila Times. He was 83. The former TV host had just bathed get ready to see his doctor for a checkup because had not been feeling well. His wife Cecilia found him lying on the floor with blood on his head. 

Chinese Name Philippines 'Most Romantic'

Chinese readers of Shanghai Morning Post chose the Philippines as the “Most Romantic Destination” in a consumer survey, reports Interaksyon.com. Other country-winners include: Australia, “The Best Tour Destination for Discovery”; Switzerland, “The Best Shopping Paradise”; Korea, “The Best Skiing Destination”; Germany, “The Best Destination for Art Appreciation.”