Small oil firms to keep prices

MANILA, Philippines - Two small oil firms on Thursday said they will not adjust pump prices at the weekend, breaking the 20-week price hike streak since early this year. Flying V and Seaoil Philipp... more here

Govt to include peace subject in school curriculums

MANILA, Philippines - The government is set to include peace education in school curriculums nationwide. Executive Order (EO) 570 institutionalized peace education in basic education. "Through t... more here

27 hurt in explosion aboard Philippine bus

MANILA, Philippines – A homemade bomb ripped through a commuter bus in the southern Philippines on Thursday, wounding 27 people, police said. The military initially reported three people were... more here

2 hurt in QC, Manila fires

MANILA, Philippines - At least one person was injured while some 20 families were affected in a fire that swept through a row of houses in Manggahan village in Quezon City Thursday night. Quezon Ci... more here

Philippines promote peace in Liberia

Manila - The Philippines is to send 320 soldiers to Liberia and Haiti in August for UN peacekeeping missions, armed forces chief of staff General Alexander Yano said on Thursday. The soldiers will ... more here

27,765 hurdle June 2008 nursing board exam - PRC

MANILA, Philippines - Less than half of the 64,456 who took the nursing licensure examination last June hurdled the test, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said Thursday night. PRC said ... more here

Arroyo eyeing provincemate to head CHEd -- Palace source

Close this MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has offered the chairmanship of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to a provincemate, a senior Palace official said Thursday.... more here

Let career execs head OWWA, other vital agencies

Close this MANILA, Philippines -- Career executives should head the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and other government agencies that need technical expertise to run them properly and ... more here

Comelec unmindful of moves to postpone ARMM polls

MANILA, Philippines -- Despite an endorsement by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the proposal to postpone the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the Commission on Elect... more here

Bomb blasts bus in Philippines wounding 27; extortion suspected

A homemade bomb ripped through a commuter bus in the southern Philippines yesterday, wounding 27 people, police said.The military initially reported three people were killed, but police and army offic... more here

Perjury rap slapped vs Calayan over deformed penis case

MANILA, Philippines - A former client of celebrity cosmetic surgeon Dr Manny Calayan has filed his third criminal complaint against the doctor whom he initially accused of bungling his penile enlargem... more here

27 police generals take oaths before Arroyo

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo formally administered Thursday the oaths of office to 27 Philippine National Police star-rank officers during simple ceremonies in Malacañang. A statem... more here

kidnappers free 19-year-old girl

Filipino kidnappers have freed unharmed a retired U.S. Marine's 19-year-old daughter a day after snatching her, police said Thursday. Manila Chief Superintendent Ricardo Padilla said it was unclear if... more here

ARMM poll automation is on

MANILA, Philippines - Amid moves by Malacañang allies in Congress to postpone the Aug. 11 elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairma... more here

VAT, family planning to highlight Arroyo

MANILA, Philippines - Value added tax (VAT), family planning and social welfare program will be the highlights of President Arroyo’s eighth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, a Malaca... more here

Commercial vessels told to follow Verde Island traffic scheme

Verde Island Passage to comply with the traffic separation scheme (TSS) established for the area. Vice Admiral Wilfredo D. Tamayo, PCG chief, also ordered a strict enforcement of the scheme amid re... more here

Sulpicio Lines signs deal with foreign firm to retrieve endosulfan cargo

MANILA, Philippines - Sulpicio Lines Inc., owner of the ill-fated MV Princess of the Stars, on Thursday signed a US$7.55-million contract with a foreign salvor firm to remove the hazardous endosulfan ... more here

Erap, like some lawmakers, won

MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada will not attend the State of the Nation Address in Congress on Monday, July 28, although he has already received his formal invitation from Congre... more here

Filipino scientists, activists want IRRI out

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), as it is doing "nothing good for Filipino farmers and Philippine agriculture." "There is no need for the IRRI to exist in the Philippines," said the group... more here

Another suspect in Drilon kidnapping falls

MANILA, Philippines -- Another suspect in the kidnapping of a television news crew was arrested by the military in Sulu, a military spokesman said Thursday. The suspect was identified as Abu Sayyaf me... more here

Adaza asks DoJ to junk swindling case

MANILA, Philippines -- Lawyer Homobono Adaza has asked the Department of Justice (DoJ) to dismiss the fraud (estafa) case filed against him and four former and active colonels. In the counter-affidavi... more here

1 dead in Philippine banana farm raid

Communist rebels attacked a banana farm associated with Dole Foods Co. Thursday and a land mine hit a security vehicle rushing to intervene, killing one and wounding three others, the military said.Vi... more here

Public skeptical over Arroyo speech in Congress--poll

Pulse Asia poll of 1,200 adults nationwide from July 1 to 14 showed that 60 percent or six out of 10 the respondents said they were aware of past editions of Arroyo's SONA. Of the 60 percent who said ... more here

Muslim Rebels Attack In Southern Philippines - Official

(AFP)--Muslim separatist guerrillas clashed with government militiamen in the southern Philippines Thursday, a local official said, despite a breakthrough in protracted peace talks. more here

3 dead, 23 wounded in bomb blast on Philippine bus

Davao City, Philippines - A homemade bomb ripped through a passenger bus in the southern Philippines Thursday, killing at least three people and wounding more than 20, officials said. more here

5 Mindanao solons file bill to defer ARMM polls until 2010

MANILA, Philippines - Five Mindanao lawmakers on Thursday filed a bill seeking the postponement of the August 11 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections until 2010, when the government i... more here

Arroyo inspects NAIA Terminal 3

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Thursday inspected again the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA 3), which opened recently after being mothballed for years d... more here

Victims of rights violations picket CA, march to SC - report

MANILA, Philippines - Relatives of victims of abductions and disappearances marched to the Supreme Court in Manila Thursday to voice their dismay over the court's allged failure to hand justice to... more here

Philippine military to send 320 troops on UN peacekeeping missions

Manila - The Philippine military plans to deploy 320 troops for UN peacekeeping missions in Liberia and Haiti, the Armed Forces chief of staff said Thursday. General Alexander Yano said 165 Filipino s... more here

Enrile to inhibit self from Senate car smuggling probe

MANILA, Philippines -- Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile will inhibit himself at the Senate car smuggling hearing next Tuesday, Senator Francis Escudero said at the Kapihan sa Senado Thursday. Escudero, chair... more here

Bus explosion in the Philippines kills at least 3

A homemade bomb ripped through a commuter bus in the southern Philippines on Thursday, wounding 27 people, police said. The military initially reported three people were killed, but police and army o... more here

3 robbers get life terms for killing UP nursing student

MANILA, Philippines - Three men were sentenced on Thursday to reclusion perpetua, or life imprisonment, for killing a University of the Philippines Manila nursing student during an attempted robbery i... more here

Bus blast in S Philippines wounds 27

Twenty-seven people were injured, four in critical conditions, after a home-made bomb exploded inside a passenger bus in a southern Philippine city Thursday noon. Provincial police chief Cesario Daran... more here

MMDA dares CHR to file charges against them

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday challenged the Commission on Human Rights to prove allegations that some of their personnel committed human right... more here

Filipinos expelled from Malaysia

(33 mins ago) Many Filipinos expelled from Malaysia's resource-rich state of Sabah for working illegally have already or planned to return despite fear of arrest, media reports said. The Philippi... more here

Philippines to send 320 peacekeepers to Liberia, Haiti

The Philippines will soon send a team of 320 military officers for the peacekeeping missions in strife-torn Liberia and Haiti, the country's military chief said Thursday. Of the peacekeepers, 165 are ... more here

Philippines, U.S. hold 10-day war game class session

The elite navy troops of the Philippines and the United States are conducting a 10-day classroom-based war game in the southern Philippine city of Zamboanga, local news network ABS-CBN News reported T... more here

Village official killed, three police wounded in Philippine attack

Manila - A village official was killed and three police wounded Thursday in a landmine explosion as they responded to an attack by communist rebels on a banana plantation in the southern Philippines, ... more here

10 senators oppose ARMM polls postponement - report

MANILA, Philippines - At least 10 senators have expressed opposition to proposals to postpone the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) elections scheduled on August 11. A report over radio d... more here

AFP renews "indefinite truce" offer to communist rebels

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday renewed its offer for an "indefinite ceasefire' with the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP... more here

Fresh batch of Pinoy peacekeepers set to leave for Liberia, Haiti

MANILA, Philippines - A fresh batch of Filipino peacekeepers composed of 320 officers and men from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be leaving the country next month for a peacekeeping m... more here

Church bells in Manila to simultaneously ring in protest of reproductive bill

MANILA, Philippines - Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Manila will simultaneously toll their bells on Friday evening to protest the Reproductive Health bill now pending in Congress. An artic... more here

Youth protesters throw paint on Arroyo poster in Caloocan

MANILA, Philippines - Youth protesters again gave police the slip on Thursday as they splashed paint on a tarpaulin poster of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Caloocan City ahead of the July 28 St... more here

Sulpicio to face slew of charges as "Princess" victims, kin bring case to court

MANILA, Philippines - A wave of criminal complaints from relatives and victims looms over Sulpicio Lines Inc., owner of the capsized MV Princess of the Stars. Radio dzBB's Mao dela Cruz reporte... more here

Pirates seize ship with 20 Filipinos off Somalia

Pirates have seized a cargo ship with 20 Filipino sailors on board off the coast of Somalia, a Philippine government official said Wednesday.The pirates climbed aboard the bulk carrier Stella Maris in... more here

ARMM poll deferment shows lack of political will

eferring the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) would indicate that government is not serious in modernizing the presidential elections in 2010. Commission on Elections ... more here

3,000 state workers to join anti-SONA protests

MANILA, Philippines - At least 3,000 government workers will take a "union leave" this coming Monday to join protests against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's State of the Nation Address (SONA)... more here

56 GROs rounded up in QC, Manila raids - report

MANILA, Philippines - At least 56 guest relations officers (GROs) were rounded up in a series of raids on videoke bars in Quezon City and Manila, dzBB radio reported before dawn Thursday. Quezon Ci... more here

2.5 tons of

QUEZON CITY, Philippines - Authorities seized some 2.5 tons of "hot meat" from Bulacan while these were being unloaded at a market in Balintawak in Quezon City before dawn Thursday. Radio dzBB&#39... more here

DOJ reminds media on minors

MANILA, Philippines - Media practitioners were "reminded" to respect the right to privacy of minors, especially those who figure in high-profile "news" stories. Radio dzBB's Teresa Tavares repo... more here

Arroyo to inspect NAIA-3 Thursday

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will inspect the controversial Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 Thursday, amid speculations that it was opened in time for h... more here

9 bodies from

MANILA, Philippines - At least nine bodies of victims from the capsized "Princess of the Stars" have been transferred to Manila, ship owner Sulpicio Lines Inc. said. In a statement dated Wednesday ... more here

Lawmakers split on ARMM polls" delay

MANILA, Philippines - Lawmakers are split on the appeal by the Palace to defer the Muslim Mindanao region elections scheduled for next month. While the House of Representatives leadership echoes th... more here

Armed men raid NFA warehouse in Marikina - report

MANILA, Philippines - The National Food Authority (NFA) has sought security from police for its facilities after armed men raided its warehouse in Marikina City before midnight Wednesday. Radio dzB... more here

2,000 soldiers in Metro Manila for SONA

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces will deploy 2,000 soldiers in Metro Manila for the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday. Most of the soldiers will be stationed in and around the Bata... more here

Palace orders probe of smuggling claim in Port Irene, Cagayan

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang has directed the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) to investigate the claim of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) that second-hand luxury vehicles... more here

Japanese woman dies while diving in Philippines

MANILA — A Japanese woman has died while scuba diving in the central Philippines over the weekend, a police report said Wednesday. Police identified the diver as 58-year-old Michiyo Higaki, a t... more here

Puntland Elders Seek Release Of Filipino Sailors - Official

(AFP)--Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region has sent elders to negotiate with pirates who seized a Japanese vessel at the weekend, an official said Wednesday. more here

Philippines hints at more rate hikes

Manila: The Philippine central bank on Wednesday signalled that it would keep raising borrowing costs in its most forthright comments to date on combating soaring annual inflation. Governor Amando Tet... more here

Recto tapped to head NEDA

MANILA, Philippines - Another losing administration senatorial candidate has been given a government post, this time as director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). F... more here

Students jog vs high prices, VAT on oil

MANILA, Philippines - Students from three major universities in Metro Manila on Wednesday jogged their way to school in protest of high prices of basic commodities and the government’s refusal t... more here

Teener killed, another wounded in Manila shooting incident

MANILA, Philippines - A grade five student died while his companion was wounded when security guards who thought they were thieves opened fire at the boys in Tondo on Wednesday. Police identified t... more here

Los Angeles City Council votes to ban plastic bags

The Los Angeles City Council voted to ban plastic shopping bags from stores, beginning July 1, 2010. Shoppers can either bring their own bags or pay 25 cents for a paper or biodegradable bag.The counc... more here

Pirates abduct 20 Philippines in Somali waters

Somali pirates seized a Japanese freighter cargo ship boarding 20 Philippines off Somalia coast sailing to Gulf of Aden, Philippines officials said today. more here

Go after Port Irene smugglers

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang has ordered the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Task Force to investigate the reports of rampant smuggling of luxury cars in Port Irene in Cagayan Valley. The di... more here

Bro. Mike"s El Shaddai won"t vote for pro-family planning bets

MANILA, Philippines El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde on Wednesday warned that his Catholic charismatic group would not vote for politicians supporting the reproductive health (RH) bill pending in t... more here

Join strike, lose franchise

MANILA, Philippines - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday night said that drivers who join Thursday's transport strike in Southern Luzon risk losing their... more here

Arroyo to unveil RP

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will inaugurate on Thursday the country's first landfill gas-to-energy project in Rodriguez town in Rizal province. The Montalban Landfil... more here

US envoy says SONA should focus on economic gains, peace process

MANILA, Philippines - The government’s economic achievements and the progress of the peace process in Mindanao should be the focus of President Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) ... more here

Buhay congressmen oppose health bill

MANILA, Philippines - Three Buhay party-list congressmen on Wednesday came out to oppose the proposed reproductive health bill at the House of Representatives. Buhay, a group linked to the charisma... more here

US turns over 50 computer units to RP Supreme Court

MANILA, Philippines - The computerization program of the Supreme Court received a big boost Wednesday when the United States government turned over 50 computer units and other related equipment to the... more here

Cops nab 4

MANDALUYONG, Philippines - Four suspected robbers gave themselves away to police by playing Robin Hoods to their neighbors – giving away 500-peso bills, two days after a drugstore heist took pla... more here

Dengue cases in Philippines rise by 43 percent--health chief

MANILA, Philippines -- Global warming may have contributed to a 43 percent rise in the number of dengue cases in the Philippines for the first half of the year, the health secretary said Wednesday. Th... more here

2 disturbances to bring rains to south Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao - Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines - Two weather disturbances threaten to bring rains to Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Wed... more here

NCRCom to go on red alert for SONA Friday - report

MANILA, Philippines - The military's Metro Manila command will go on red alert starting Friday in preparation for President Arroyo's State of the Nation Address (SONA) this coming Monday. R... more here

Immigrations to set up cell phone jamming devices at NAIA

MANILA, Philippines - Passengers and airport personnel on duty may soon be unable to use their cell phones at the Immigrations areas of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Not even if they ... more here

Immigrations to use mobile counter at NAIA to speed up paper checking

MANILA, Philippines - Passengers can expect faster checking of their travel papers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 as soon as the Bureau of Immigrations launches its mobile... more here

Catholic Church Damns The Pill

MANILA, Jul 23 (IPS) - As World Population Day was being marked on Jul. 11, Tess and Andy were attending a family planning seminar as a requirement for their forthcoming wedding. It turned out to be w... more here

ADB says limited success for poverty programs in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Wednesday that its programs aimed at lifting millions of Filipinos out of poverty have had limited success. "ADB assistance program over th... more here

Street protests no longer threat to stability

MANILA, Philippines -- Street protests are no longer a threat to the stability of government and are more likely to decline rather than intensify as fuel prices continue to escalate, the military comm... more here

Revised guidelines for coverage of children

MANILA, Philippines--The Department of Justice (DoJ) on Wednesday released revised guidelines for media coverage of cases involving children that it said are intended to keep up with rapid advances in... more here

Dengue cases in 10 RP regions increased - DOH

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health on Wednesday said that the number of dengue cases increased in ten out of the 17 regions nationwide. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that ca... more here

BMI ferry sinking probe results under review--chairman

MANILA, Philippines -- The Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI) report on its investigation into the sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars is being reviewed prior to submission to Transportation Secretary ... more here

Philippine shares rise 2.19 per cent on easing oil prices

Manila - Philippine share prices rose 2.19 per cent on Wednesday as investors snapped up bargain stocks on positive news that crude oil prices were easing. The 30-share composite index of the Philippi... more here

LRTA reports P500K in foregone revenues due to power outage

MANILA, Philippines - The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) reported a revenue loss exceeding half a million pesos due to a power interruption that disrupted the Light Rail Transit Line-2 operations... more here

Rebels to conduct assassinations in Philippine capital

Left-wing rebels are deploying their hit squads in the Philippines' capital region of Metro Manila, a military official said on Wednesday. Sparrow Units, the urban hit squads of the New People's Army,... more here

MILF welcomes Arroyo call to postpone ARMM polls--spokesman

postponement of the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Midnanao, a spokesman for the Muslim rebel group told INQUIRER.net Wednesday. Eid Kabalu made the statement as he also disclosed that t... more here

Prosecutor Villa-Ignacio standing his ground

'NO DEMOLITION JOB.' Assistant Special Prosecutor III Elvira Chua of the Office of the Ombudsman explains the nature of her complaint against Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio, saying it is not ... more here

Philippines Arroyo Appoints Ex-Senator Recto New Econ Chief

, who has been named acting NEDA director-general after former Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri was moved to the higher education post, will return to his post of deputy director-general. Rec... more here

CHR to deploy teams to guard vs rights violations in SONA rallies

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will deploy teams near the Batasan Complex in Quezon City on July 28 to monitor protest rallies slated during President Gloria Macapagal Arro... more here

Respect our right to freedom of expression

MANILA, Philippines - Saying they are all ready for their anti-State of the Nation Address (SONA) protests on Monday, militants urged police Wednesday to respect their right to freedom of expression. ... more here

N Cotabato exec to block MoA between govt, MILF

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines - Cotabato Vice Governor Manny Piñol on Wednesday vowed to do "everything" to stop the government from signing a memorandum of agreement with the Moro Islamic Libera... more here

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