Charice and David Foster to part ways

Charice is moving up another level, making one big step; she is now ready to grow on her own, straying away from the direction of her mentor-turned-Godfather, David Foster.

Three year have already passed, since Charice hit the international stage with the aid of David Foster who treated her like a daughter.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) revealed that this year’s David Foster and Friends concert series in the United States and Asia, will be the last one where Charice will appear as guest. Foster further said that Charice should focus on her target market, the younger audience.

One more reason for the end of Charice-David tandem is because Foster will be taking over the Verve label of Universal Music; he will be leaving Charice's label, Reprise/143 of Warner Music. He will now deal his efforts in polishing Verve's genre from jazz to adult contemporary.

Meanwhile, Charice will be with Warner Music as she gets ready her upcoming sophie album due next year.

Still, the possibility for a comeback of the partnership is still at high; Charice just needs to make the ends meet. Let's just wait till she buds, and conquers the international music industry.

Facts and Figures: Economy of the Philippines

Economy of the Philippines:

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$351.4 billion (2010 est.) country rank: 34
$327.4 billion (2009 est.)
$323.9 billion (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$188.7 billion (2010 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7.3% (2010 est.) country rank: 31
1.1% (2009 est.)
3.7% (2008 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$3,500 (2010 est.) country rank: 162
$3,300 (2009 est.)
$3,400 (2008 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 13.9%
industry: 31.3%
services: 54.8% (2010 est.)

Labor force:

38.9 million (2010 est.) country rank: 15

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 33%
industry: 15%
services: 52% (2010 est.)

Unemployment rate:

7.3% (2010 est.) country rank: 76
7.5% (2009 est.)

Population below poverty line:

32.9% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 31.2% (2006)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

45.8 (2006) country rank: 36
46.6 (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):

15.7% of GDP (2010 est.) country rank: 131

Budget:

revenues: $26.84 billion
expenditures: $33.75 billion (2010 est.)

Taxes and other revenues:

14.2% of GDP (2010 est.) country rank: 190

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):

-3.7% of GDP (2010 est.) country rank: 112

Public debt:

55.4% of GDP (2010 est.) country rank: 44
57.3% of GDP (2009 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.8% (2010 est.) country rank: 125
3.2% (2009 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

4% (31 December 2010) country rank: 105
3.5% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

7.7% (31 December 2010 est.) country rank: 120
8.566% (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money:

$29.08 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country rank: 58
$24.86 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money:

$97.35 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country rank: 52
$83.3 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit:

$98.22 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country rank: 52
$85.54 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$202.3 billion (31 December 2010) country rank: 33
$130.5 billion (31 December 2009)
$85.63 billion (31 December 2008)

Agriculture - products:

sugarcane, coconuts, rice, corn, bananas, cassavas, pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; fish

Industries:

electronics assembly, garments, footwear, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, petroleum refining, fishing

Industrial production growth rate:

12.1% (2010 est.) country rank: 17

Electricity - production:

61.93 billion kWh (2009 est.) country rank: 42

Electricity - consumption:

54.4 billion kWh (2009 est.) country rank: 43

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Oil - production:

9,671 bbl/day (July 2010 est.) country rank: 86

Oil - consumption:

307,200 bbl/day (September 2010 est.) country rank: 42

Oil - exports:

28,900 bbl/day (September 2010 est.) country rank: 86

Oil - imports:

338,400 bbl/day (September 2010 est.) country rank: 30

Oil - proved reserves:

168 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country rank: 64

Natural gas - production:

2.94 billion cu m (2008 est.) country rank: 55

Natural gas - consumption:

2.94 billion cu m (2008 est.) country rank: 75

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country rank: 163

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2008 est.) country rank: 110

Natural gas - proved reserves:

108.7 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country rank: 52

Current account balance:

$9.51 billion (2010 est.) country rank: 26
$8.788 billion (2009 est.)

Exports:

$50.72 billion (2010 est.) country rank: 54
$37.6 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities:

semiconductors and electronic products, transport equipment, garments, copper products, petroleum products, coconut oil, fruits

Exports - partners:
US 17.7%, Japan 16.3%, Netherlands 9.5%, Hong Kong 8.4%, China 7.6%, Singapore 6.7%, Germany 6.6%, South Korea 4.7% (2009)

Imports:
$61.07 billion (2010 est.) country rank: 42
$46.39 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities:

electronic products, mineral fuels, machinery and transport equipment, iron and steel, textile fabrics, grains, chemicals, plastic

Imports - partners:

Japan 12.6%, US 12%, China 8.9%, Singapore 8.6%, South Korea 6.9%, Thailand 5.7%, Indonesia 4.2% (2009)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$62.37 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country rank: 28
$44.24 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt - external:

$63.75 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country rank: 49
$63.1 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$24.44 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country rank: 64
$22.44 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$6.591 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country rank: 56
$6.191 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Exchange rates:

Philippine pesos (PHP) per US dollar -
45.11 (2010)
47.68 (2009)
44.439 (2008)
46.148 (2007)
51.246 (2006)

Source: Central Intelligence Agency

Philippines population surpasses 100-million mark

The population of the Philippines has now reached 100 million, with an actual number of 101,833,938 as of July 2011, the website of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reveals.

The democratic nation places itself at 12th place, behind Mexico, in the ranks of the highly populated nations of the world.

The controversial RH (Reproductive Health) Bill, which for one tackles and addresses the rising incidences of premarital sex among teenagers, must now be carefully overhauled by the government, weighing out options either siding with the Roman Catholic faith or with the control of the population's imminent boom.

The inaction of the government against curbing population inflation will definitely have an impact on the economy. Furthermore, poverty is pending on the rise.