PH to Probe Secret Imee Marcos Offshore Trust

MANILA—The Philippine government said Thursday it planned to investigate an allegation that the eldest daughter of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was the beneficiary of a secret offshore trust, reports Agence France-Presse/Inquirer.net. A report published by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) alleged Imee Marcos, 57, now a provincial governor, had failed to declare the British Virgin Islands trust as legally required.

Immigrants Less Likely to Go on Welfare--Study

Immigrants to the European Union are, for the most part, less likely to live on welfare than the native population, according to academic research to be published soon, which challenges the idea that benefits are a "pull factor" for immigration, reports the UK Guardian. The study, "Unemployment Benefits and Immigration: Evidence from the EU," says there is no correlation between levels of unemployment benefit and immigration. It is based on figures from 18 EU countries plus Switzerland and is due to be published in the International Journal of Manpower. It covers the years between 1999 and 2007.

New PMA Class Has Most Women Yet

MANILA--The Philippine Military Academy will be accepting 276 plebes to comprise the Class of 2017--about a third of whom are women, reports Rappler.com. The new batch  of 182 men and 84 women was expected to arrive on April 1. According to the PMA press release, the 2017 class would by far be the biggest set of female cadets entering the PMA since it started accepting women in 1993.

More Filipinos Were Hired Than Lost Jobs Jan.-March

MANILA--Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics data show that large enterprises in had more new hires than employees who either quit or were terminated in the last quarter of 2012, reports Rappler.com. The difference between jobs gained and jobs lost, was at 2.47 percent, indicating an addition of 25 workers per 1,000 employed. 

Fewer Filipinos Tying the Knot

MANILA-The number of Filipinos getting married has continued to decline, reports ABS-CBN News. National Statistics Office data showed registered marriages in 2011 slid by 1.3 percent to 476,408 from the 482,480 recorded in 2010.

Filipina in UAE Embezzled to Help Sick Dad

DUBAI--A female employee at the Emirates Post Holding Group has admitted that she forged receipts to embezzle around Dh100,000 that she needed to help her sick father in the Philippines, reports Gulf News. The 33-year-old Filipina, A.A., who formerly worked as a data operator at the group, was said to have forged collection receipts of Emirates ID and embezzled nearly Dh100,000 ($27,230) in public funds.

Philippines Now Investment-Grade

MANILA--Debt watcher Fitch Ratings lifted the country’s credit rating to BBB- from BB+, with a stable outlook, less than a month after its team visited the Philippines for a diligence review of the country’s macro fundamentals, reports Philstar.com. An investment grade rating means the Philippines has a strong ability to meet its financial commitments fully and on time. While credit ratings do not indicate investment merit, credit risk is one of the factors taken into consideration by businessmen. An investment grade sends a message that the Philippines is a safe place for investments, including big-ticket ones that generate much-needed employment. More investments, more jobs, and more funds for social services are expected after the country bagged yesterday its first-ever investment grade rating.

Filipino LGBTs Join Rally for Marriage Rights

​LOS ANGELES–Just days before what may be the biggest week in the marriage equality movement, the lesbian gay bisexual transgender and queer community held a protest on March 25 outside the Los Angeles City Hall hoping that the US Supreme Court would strike down a pair of same sex marriage bans, reports Balitang America. Filipinos representing several LGBT groups were among the hundreds that rallied.