IN 2005, a research project “University and Drug Use/Abuse: Local Studies” was launched by the Center for Coordination of Research of the International Federation of Catholic Universities based in Paris.

THERE are about 1.5 million children in Philippine streets. Half of them have, at one time or another, inhaled and may actually be inhaling household glue (more commonly known by the popular brand name rugby).

Can we stop climate change? Or global warming? The answer is a big no We cannot stop climate change and therefore we cannot prevent global warming. It is all right to be so passionate and emotional about these issues but not to the point of being irrational.

MANILA, Philippines—The Senate and the Office of the President have in their possession an explosive study whose disclosure could very well result in the permanent shuttering of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and end moves in Congress to reopen the facility, according to environmentalist Nicanor Perlas.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. employers slashed 598,000 jobs in January, the biggest monthly loss in 34 years, and the jobless rate soared to a 16-year peak, putting pressure on lawmakers to act quickly to counter a deepening recession.

The total global deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) surged to more than 1.376 million in more than 190 host destinations worldwide in 2008, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) today reported.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic senators agreed on Friday to cut their hopes for a larger economic stimulus package and support a $800 billion compromise that would give President Barack Obama an important but narrow victory.

Vice President Noli de Castro proposed yesterday to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Labor and Employment to implement a selective deployment ban in Iraq, Lebanon and Nigeria.

A new movement in search of 10 million voters who will support reform-oriented, pro-good governance candidates in next year’s May national and local elections was formally launched February 3.

Several “junior” miners have assured the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) that they are proceeding with their mineral exploration activities even in the face of a global economic slowdown.

The government must categorically require users of the P330 billion economic stimulus package to buy locally made products and use Filipino contractors, the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) said.

MANILA – ELECTRONICS company Amkor Technology has laid off 1,500 workers from its two plants in the Philippines due to declining orders, a company official said on Friday.

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Federal Express (FedEx), the world’s largest cargo delivery service company, has started transfering its entire Asia-Pacific hub operations from the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) to a new hub facility in Guangzhou, China.

Total sales of the country’s pre-need companies fell 18.56 percent last year to P15.3 billion, according to latest data released by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Non-Traditional Securities Department.

Big players in the local automotive industry have been hit by the global slowdown in consumer demand as Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) reduced their production of Innova and Vios by 10 percent, Nissan Motor Philippines Inc. implemented a four-day work week and retrenched 16 percent of its workers while Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Philippines instituted a…

Standard & Poors (S&P) has downscaled its growth projection for the Philippines in 2009 from the original forecast of 3.3 percent to only 2.2 percent.

Local vehicle assemblers are lining up strategies that would include seeking an amendment of the bond requirement for excise tax payment and a string of perks to buyers to maintain profitability and shield thousands of workers from losing their jobs.

The local automotive industry would try not to shed jobs, officials said, even as some car companies here are already implementing some “efficiency measures” to cut down on costs amid the global downturn.

Excessive burning of mercury-added products doubles mercury emissions to the atmosphere every year, international non-government organizations (NGOs) warned on Thursday.

THE Public Works Department will hire half a million laborers this year as part of the government’s pump-priming program to soften the impact of the economic crisis.

Vice President Noli “Kabayan” De Castro announced another adjustment in Pag-IBIG Fund housing loan interest rates, making the monthly amortizations for its most popular loan package even more affordable.

MANILA, Feb. 6 (PNA) – In an effort to reach out to young dropouts and out of school youth (OSY) and bring them back to finish school, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Wednesday they are now conducting a massive search for 5.6 million OSY through the Project Reaching All Children (REACH).

The country’s mobile phone service sector is projected to post a low to mid-single digit growth rate this year compared to last year in terms of revenues, in step with the expected growth for the economy.

Philippine exports could still be spared from contraction this year and manage a flat growth if companies tap other markets, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto said yesterday.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) downscaled again its 2009 economic growth projections for the Philippines from its 3.5-percent estimate in November last year to only 2.25 percent.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) hopes to increase enrolment of day care children from 1.2 million to 3 million through the electronic learning project which it will implement soon together with two private organizations.

The Philippines today is governed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s social reform and poverty reduction program 2004-2010. Under her are the cabinet secretaries whom she meets weekly. They are represented in the National EFA Committee (NEC), which has been meeting frequently to advocate and transform UNESCO’s Education For All programs into Education for Sustainable Development…

President Arroyo announced that a P1-billion livelihood support fund for displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) is now available.

Tourist arrivals in the Philippines rose by 1.5 percent to a record 3.14 million in 2008, despite the global financial crisis, the Tourism department said Wednesday.

Bahrain needs more foreign workers and would hire Filipino workers to support its booming economy, according to a Maca­lañang press release on Wednesday that quoted the prime minister of the Middle Eastern kingdom.