The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) closed on Thursday two more rural banks—this time in Pampanga—after they declared a bank holiday.

Nearly five in 10 Filipinos are afraid of losing jobs this year because of the global financial crisis, an international research firm reported.

MORONG, Bataan: The Bataan nuclear power plant stands as a monument to the greed and corruption of the years the Philippines spent under strongman President Ferdinand Marcos.

The central bank governor said Thursday that remittances growth is likely to slow down to single digits this year, but he was optimistic about maintaining the country’s credit ratings.

Govt challenges UN report, calls for data review   The Philippines ranked No. 1 in Southeast Asia as the country with the most number of drug users based on the 2008 World Drug report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Amid a troubled global economy last year, the local automotive industry managed to pull off year-on-year sales growth but missed its official growth target by a hairline, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (Campi) and the Truck Manufacturers Association said.

MORONG—The Bataan nuclear power plant stands as a monument to the greed and corruption of the years the Philippines spent under strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

One hundred thirteen middle level managers of the Department of Education (DepEd) had undergone management and leadership training with the Meralco Management and Leadership Development Center (MMLDC) funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).

A massive evacuation of Filipinos and other foreigners from the Gaza Strip was called off yesterday upon the advice of the Red Cross due to intense fighting, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

The Philippines is vulnerable to the global financial crisis, but less so than other countries in the region as its banks and external financial position are sound, Fitch Ratings said yesterday.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) vowed it will implement ways to support industries specifically the automotive industry in light of the slowdown in the global demand.

Honda Cars Philippines Inc. expects to post a flat sales growth for this year after experiencing a decline of 17 percent in 2008.

The government plans to spend 60 percent to 80 percent of its P1.415-trillion budget for the year during the first semester as part of plans to pump-prime the economy, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director-general Ralph Recto said.

Upon reading all the columns these days, there is nothing but bad news about 2009. Not that I disagree with many of the views, but I think things will be different. The Philippines will be far better than many other countries. Here are 10 reasons why I think we should be happy in 2009.

NEW YORK (AFP) – The nightmarish stock market performance in 2008 erased some 17 trillion dollars in share value worldwide, a Standard & Poor’s report said Tuesday.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza yesterday recalled the agreement his department forged with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in 2006 on the issuance of environmental permits and clearances.

With 17 more months to go before the May 2010 presidential elections, coffee shops and board rooms are already debating over next year’s presidential polls, speculating on its possible outcome.

Employees of the Philippine Airlines have lost their bid for a court order to compel the Lucio Tan-owned airline to pay them P600 million in salary differentials for the 15-year period from 1989 to 1995.

A special team from the Department of Labor and Employment will be dispatched in countries where there are large concentration of Filipino workers to determine if they can hold on to their jobs in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

HONDA Cars Philippines remains upbeat over its prospects despite difficult business conditions. It even sees sales growing by 10-percent this year from a decline of 17 percent last year.

THE Environment Department yesterday took over control of Subic following protests over its officials’ plan to cut down 300 mature trees and their alleged violation of environment laws.

The government plans to adopt safety measures that would shield the country’s auto industry from the severe impact of the global financial crisis, according to Board of Investments (BoI) managing head Elmer Hernandez.

The country is vulnerable to a financial shock if cash remittances by masses of Filipinos working abroad dry up due to the global crisis, investment analyst group Moody’s warned yesterday.

A run among Rural Banks (RBs) appear to be spreading after three banks, one in Dumaguete and two in Pampanga, recently declared holidays after experiencing massive withdrawals.

Top and bottom. The SWS senatorial survey conducted Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 shows the following results of senatorial candidates: 1. Mar Roxas 2. Miriam Santiago 3. Jinggoy Estrada 4. Pia Cayetano 5. Bong Revilla 6-7 Franklin Drilon Jamby Madrigal 8. Ralph Recto 9. Koko Pimentel 10. Juan Ponce-Enrile 11. Tito Sotto 12-13. Sergio Osmeña…

The country’s energy officials have confirmed the existence of a “severe” power supply lack in several parts of the archipelago, particularly in Central Visayas in the province of Cebu.

The Court of Appeals (CA) has turned down a suit of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (Palea) to compel national flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) to shell out more than P600 million.

At least 2,500 Filipino workers have lost their jobs in Taiwan amid a global economic slowdown, and more are expected to be sent home in the coming months, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said yesterday.

Struggling with a daily meal budget of less than $2 a day for a family of 12, Floriza Bacli said she was happy to spoil her children a bit on New Year’s Eve with something special—half kilo of fried chicken and a quarter kilo of hotdogs.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: President-elect Barack Obama’s plan to haul the US economy out of recession entails a hefty expansion of the US federal government—a prospect that has conservative critics aghast.