CebuOnlineNews.com

NEDA foresees $13-B BPO industry in 2011

MANILA – The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) today said the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the Philippines will continue to thrive, even reaching $13 billion by next year.

NEDA director Dennis Arroyo said the BPO market continues to widen and there is still a huge demand for BPO workers in the country even as more than 500,000 Filipinos are now employed in various call centers nationwide.

Bank employee runs off with P5-million cash in Legazpi

LEGAZPI CITY – Police are now hot on the trail of an employee of the Philippine National Bank (PNB) here who went missing together with the P5 million cash he was entrusted with.

Albay Provincial Director William Macabenta identified the suspect as Jimmy Baldon, clearing officer of the PNB Legazpi City branch.

P21-M chemicals used in making shabu seized in Bukidnon

The police in Bukidnon is set to file charges for illegal possession of shabu precursors against six men who were caught with P21-million worth of chemicals in a checkpoint.

Bukidnon PNP Provincial Director Supt. Nerio Bermudo identified the suspects as Mawie Bagul, Hasine Abante, Moda Tante, Jospad Batu-an, Menbantas Salipada, and a still unidentified one.

Personnel of the PNP and the Commission on the Elections were conducting checkpoint in the town of Kisolon when they chanced at the van boarded by the suspects.

550 pass PRC board exam for Architects

The Professional Regulation Commission on Wednesday announced that 550 out of 1,092 passed the Architect Licensure Examination given by the Board of Architecture headed by its Chairman, Arch. Armando N. Alli with two other members, Arch. Angeline T. Chua Chiaco and Arch. Marietta Bundalian Segovia.

Authorities raid Ampatuan mansion in Davao

DAVAO CITY – Elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) raided the mansion of the Ampatuans in Juna Subdivision, Matina, Davao City Wednesday night with the hope of finding the vault that allegedly contained high calibre of firearms.

But the authorities, who were armed with a search warrant issued by Davao City Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Isaas Robillo, went home empty handed as the vault that they were up to turned out to be empty.

The troops claimed that the guns have already been transferred to another place after learning that the NBI and the PNP were set to raid the Ampatuan mansion. (CebuOnlineNews.com)

Firecracker blaze kills 3 in Cebu

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Three persons were charred to death when a fire hit stalls selling firecrackers in barangay Sentro, this city, past 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, the Mandaue City Fire Department said.

Two of the victims have already been identified as Amad Villacorta, 7, and Minumbaw Maca-undas Bulao, owner of one of the firecracker stalls. The third victim, believed to be a child, has not been identified as of press time yesterday.

Boxer Z Gorres gets cash aid from Cebu Capitol

The Cebu Provincial Capitol handed over a check worth P100,000 to the wife of Cebuano bozer Z “The Dream” Gorres as financial assistance for Z, who is recovering from head injury in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 27-year-old Gorres, who was born in Agusan del Norte but who grew up in Mandaue City, collapsed shortly after he won his fight against Luis Melendez of Colombia recently at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.

Cebu journalists hold protest march to decry Maguindanao massacre

Over 100 members of the media in Cebu showed their indignation against the gruesome murders of 57 innocent people including 34 journalists last Monday morning in Maguindanao in a protest march held this morning amid Malacañang’s declaration of November 26 as a ‘National Day of Mourning’ for the victims of Maguindanao.

Majority of the media wore black shirts and some carried placards that read “Ang media atong higala, dili nato patyon,” (The media are our partners, we should not kill them) and ‘Protect the Fourth Estate: Media” as they walked several hundred meters away from JY Square in Lahug to the Marcelo Fernan Press Center in Sudlon, Cebu City for a short program.