MANILA, Philippines – The country’s current account surplus narrowed to $4.2 billion in 2008 from the $7.1-billion surplus recorded in 2007, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – A gas tank of an Asian utility vehicle exploded while undergoing repair at a small shop in Quezon City yesterday afternoon, severely injuring a man who was just helping out at the shop.

Building Blocks MANILA, Philippines – EVEN if it’s not going to turn very positive, the country’s developers are nevertheless thankful that home building has never been negative for the Philippine economy.

Local advertising expenses went down by 20 percent to 30 percent because of the global economic downturn, according to an official of the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA).

BANGKOK: Asia and the Pacific face a “marked risk” of social unrest as the global financial crisis bites, but the region continues to lead international prospects for recovery, a United Nation survey said Thursday.

The Internet use in the Philippines grew last year on the back of higher research and social networking activities accompanies by the expansion of internet centers and digital media, an AC Nielsen-Yahoo Net Index report said.

UN General Assembly, 25 to 27 March, 2009 Member States of the UN General Assembly participating in the Interactive Thematic Dialogue of 25 to 27 March 2009 viewed the dialogue as an opportunity to build worldwide consensus for global action to address the deepening crisis. The Interim Report of the Commission of Experts on reforms…

MANILA, Philippines – Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Jose L. Atienza yesterday expressed optimism that the Philippines will be able to achieve its original investment target this year of $1 billion instead of its revised target of just $800 million.

MANILA, Philippines – Electrification of the rural areas will be one of the priorities in the granting of loans by the World Bank, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said.

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo yesterday ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to bring political and media killings down to zero amid fresh criticisms on the country’s human rights situation.

MANILA, Philippines — The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) has approved a $50-million loan to the Philippine government to help improve the country’s health care services, and make them more accessible and affordable for the poor.

MANILA, Philippines – Nearly 90 million jobs are needed to absorb the new entrants in the labor market and cut short the ongoing global financial and job crisis, the International Labor Organization (ILO) reported yesterday.

THE Maritime Industry Authority and Pilipinas Teleserv Inc. have streamlined the processing of the Seafarer’s Identification and Record Book.

Over 300 million liters of refined and highly inflammable fuel and liguefied gas are stored in the Pandacan depot that has been operating since 1921 without a buffer, as required under international safety rules, to insulate residents nearby from danger.

Failure to tap other source of water may result in acute water shortage in Metro Manila and nearby provinces by 2015, the representatives of the Manila Water Co. Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc. told Congress on Monday.

A sharp contraction in Philippine exports caused by the global financial crisis could dampen economic growth this year, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific (Unescap).

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine economy will grow by no more than 3.0 percent this year as it faces the “triple threats” of renewed fuel and food price spikes and the worsening effects of the global financial crisis, according to a United Nations report.

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines and Spain have signed three agreements that would further boost cooperation between the two countries.

SAN JUAN, Batangas—The government will spend P100 million to shoulder half the minimum wage of thousands of workers who would otherwise be laid off by the electronics industry as a stopgap measure to prevent further job losses, President Arroyo said yesterday.

CPJ report, threats to broadcaster spur action MANILA, Philippines—Heavily criticized over a number of unresolved political killings since she came to power, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday gave an explicit order to the Philippine National Police: Stop the killing of journalists.

MANILA, Philippines—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has announced an incentive for workers who lost their jobs in the electronics industry.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine economy’s ability to avoid the contagion of the global economic crisis has been eroded by its dependence on exports, but income remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) may mitigate this, according to a United Nations report.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines was warned against establishing a shipbreaking industry since its operations involve the disposal of toxic substances harmful to both humans and the environment.

ROSARIO, CAVITE – While dozens of workers are losing jobs at the Cavite Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), hundreds are going to be hired soon as more investors are coming in, according to CEZA authorities.

Most export companies inside the Mactan Export Zone (Mez) are not doing as badly as projected in the global economic crisis.

MANILA, Philippines—Whether they’re using Havaianas or Havanas, please don’t punish drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) for wearing tsinelas (slippers), transport group leaders urged government Wednesday.

MANILA, Philippines—The number of Filipino journalists killed rose to six in 2008, making the year one of the worst since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo began her term in 2001, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) said in its Philippine Press Freedom Report 2008, released Wednesday.

Recent Meeting of World Health Organization Research Group Again Reported that All Commercial Asbestos Fibers Cause Deadly Disease and Cited Important New Findings for Women

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) — Exports may recover in the second half of the year as global demand picks up, which could limit job losses to half the 200,000 expected earlier, a senior government official said on Thursday.

Brussels,The 7th round of Association Agreement (AA) negotiations between Central America and the European Union will take place at Tegucigalpa between 30 March and 3 April.  The international trade union movement demands that the Agreement include a social and labour chapter embodying full observance of human and trade union rights, including the eight Core Conventions…