MANILA (AFP) —Trying to set up a grand European Union-style economic community for Asia “does not appear feasible” the president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Thursday.

SPi, a leading global provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) solutions, has been ranked among the world’s best in the 2008 Global Services 100 Survey conducted by Global Services magazine and neoIT, an outsourcing advisory firm.

A former Perth brake mechanic is the first Australian to win a successful verdict against the Ford Motor Company for exposure to asbestos through brake pads.

Can an Amended Complaint be admitted after the order dismissing the original complaint has already become final on the ground that no substantial amendments to the original complaint are to be made anyway and the amendment is merely in compliance with the court order to continue plaintiff’s cause of action mainly directed at another party?…

Cagayan de Oro City (2 February) — Another jobs fair has been scheduled Feb. 9-10, 2008 at the ALU Bldg., Kauswagan, this city, for job vacancies requiring technical, vocational, formal and non-formal skills.

Employees of the Philippine National Construction Corp. (PNCC) lost a legal battle to prevent Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp. from taking over the Skyway operations.

The country’s largest labor group will support the Senate ratification of the proposed Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), provided the government agrees to establish a P2-billion safety net for workers who may be dislocated by the freer entry here of Japanese merchandise.

The country’s largest labor union sought yesterday a P2-billion emergency fund for workers likely to be displaced when the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) takes effect.

A PRESTIGIOUS international magazine has listed two Palawan resorts among the 20 most eco-sensitive hotels in the world.

FILIPINOS trust their religious leaders more than politicians and would probably elect them.

FILIPINOS are not financially savvy enough to help them tide over rough times and plan for a comfortable retirement, a survey by Citibank N.A. showed.

BAGUIO CITY – Filipinos are big “rice wasters.” The National Food Authority (NFA) said at least 25,000 sacks of rice amounting to about P22 million are wasted daily.

I HAVE heard countless times about couples who met in the workplace. Some relationships headed for the altar, a few lasted only briefly as their careers. I don’t know if there are sure-fire rules, but what I know is, when you are dating someone from work, always practice discretion. No playing footsies in the conference…

WASHINGTON – The Philippines was one of three countries relegated by a private democracy watchdog organization from a list of totally free countries to partly free.

Quezon City has joined the ranks of Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei as one of the Top 10 Asian Cities of the Future.

MANILA, Philippines — A New York-based media watchdog on Sunday called on the Philippine government to withdraw a threat to prosecute journalists who get in the way of police operations.

MANILA, Philippines — Only seven cases of unexplained killings of political activists and journalists were handled in 2007 by the Philippine National Police (PNP) task force created to investigate such murders, a sharp drop from the 41 cases it investigated in 2006, according to a yearend report submitted to the Department of Interior and Local…

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has designated 117 trial courts as “environmental courts” to hear cases involving violations of laws protecting the country’s natural resources and to speed up their resolution.

Norway’s SN Power, a partner of the Aboitiz Group in several biddings for National Power Corp. (Napocor) generating assets, said the government, through the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), has shown complete transparency and fairness in its privatization program.

Jojo Robles had a list last week, so here’s mine to reinforce and add to it. It’s a list for the President (and Congress, if miracles can indeed happen) for 2008. Or, frankly, for anyone else who’ll listen and maybe this time do something about it. After all, we’ve all been raising these same points…

A look at nuclear energy production and policies in selected countries around the world, as the UK government announces its long-term nuclear energy plans.

The nuclear question is one of the biggest facing global economies. The British government has announced plans to construct a new generation of nuclear power stations, a move which is likely to revive the long-standing debate over the cost and safety of nuclear energy.

More Filipino workers left the country last year to work abroad despite the continuing depreciation of the dollar.

President Arroyo ordered yesterday the reduction of the tariff on petroleum imports in an effort to ease the impact of record-high global crude prices on the local economy, particularly on poor Filipinos.

President Arroyo has lined up a number of directives aimed at providing relief to the masses from the rising cost of oil in the world market.

Philippine auto industry breaches the 100,000th unit mark, posting its best figures in a decade

The peso broke into the 40-to-$1 territory for the first time since March 2000, briefly hitting an intra-day high of 40.99 before closing at 41 to a dollar.

A year-long study conducted by a stakeholder relations firm showed many Filipinos now consider renewable energy development as the solution to the swelling global prices of fuel and other petroleum products.

2007 is likely to be a banner year for the economy. After last year’s respectable 5.4 percent, gross domestic product (GDP) should grow by between 6.9 percent and 7.3 percent—a 20-year record. The surge should continue in 2008 (6.4 percent to 6.7 percent) and peak in 2009, when Citigroup projects GDP to expand by as…

Sugar industry leaders in the country yesterday called for a review of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), as it criticized its “inherent flaws” which, they claimed, even defeats its noble purpose of liberating farmers from the bondage of tenancy.