miniZibaldone

Inquirer  on Filipinos and literacy Only one in four adult Filipinos is considered financially literate, or understands basic concepts such as interest rate, inflation, savings and debt. This fact  highlights the difficult task of both the government and the private sector in expanding public access to financial services. [...]  According to a survey done by international credit watchdog Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, two-thirds of adults globally are financially illiterate, with only  one in three, or 31 percent, showing an understanding of basic financial concepts. [...]  Among the Southeast Asian countries included in the survey, Singapore has the highest financial literacy rate at 59 percent, and Cambodia the lowest at 18 percent.   Vietnam is the only other economy to score lower than the Philippines at 24 percent. [full text] Sun.Star Cebu  on HIV/AIDS Despite the clash of policies and strategies, stakeholders must focus on a s...

Inquirer   on post- APEC There is no doubt that the Aquino administration did everything in its power to ensure that the Philippines’ hosting of the 23rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit would be glitch-free.  But outside of the high-profile gathering, social media seethed over the cancelled work and classes as well as domestic and international flights, and the closure of certain roads and rerouting around the Apec venues. Accounts of commuters stranded or walking for hours to reach their destinations, of airline passengers missing their travel commitments, and of ordinary citizens trapped in gridlock are now the stuff of legend. [...]  It was truly unfortunate that Filipinos, especially those in Metro Manila, had to endure such troubles. But there is another side of the Apec event to consider—the stories of those who did the country proud and those who benefited from the conduct of the meetings. [...] B ut apart from the logistical trauma, there was a positi...