‘It has to be said: one of the legacies of Secretary Ona and the Aquino administration will be the HIV epidemic in the country’ MANILA, Philippines – Illegal and ineffective.

MANILA – A UN-sponsored study has confirmed that gay people in the Philippines continue to face discrimination despite pockets of increased tolerance for the LGBT community by Filipino society, reports GayAsiaNews.com.

THE GOVERNMENT is forming a team that will address private sector complaints relating to corruption and red tape. The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), on its Web site, said it discussed with the Office of the Ombudsman last May 8 the conceptual framework for the establishment of an Investment Ombudsman Team (IOT).…

‘How does one answer allegations in an affidavit which is unsigned, which has not been sworn to?’ MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang questioned the credibility of the list implicating 3 Cabinet secretaries of alleged involvement in the multi-billion pork barrel scam, and dismissed it as a “mere scrap of paper.”

President Aquino delivers a speech at the NAIA Terminal 2 upon his arrival yesterday from Myanmar where he attended the 24th Asean summit.

MANILA, Philippines—In preparation for the 23rd World Economic Forum to be hosted by the country from May 21 to 23, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada agreed on Monday to lift for eight days the modified truck ban being implemented by the city government.

An International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission report released on Tuesday indicates discrimination and violence against lesbians, bisexual women and transgender people remains pervasive throughout Asia.

MANILA—Gays are increasingly tolerated in Philippine society but discrimination persists and they remain vulnerable to hate crimes, according to a United Nations-backed study released Monday.

Even without a master plan, the rehabilitation of Yolanda-hit areas may proceed starting June, according to former Senator Panfilo Lacson, the Aquino administration’s “rehabilitation czar.”

The MRT3 situation has become a national shame, and the waiting passengers’ lines stretch interminably outside the stations from Taft Avenue Pasay to North Avenue Quezon City. To this, Malacanang’s first response was to tell complaining passengers to take the bus instead, if they could not spend a portion of their lives waiting for a…

It’s sad to learn that certain people are entitled to less rights than others, just because they are labeled “different” Women who love women. Are there things they cannot do? A lot of things. This, unfortunately, is the Philippine reality.

But access to finance remains a daunting challenge MANILA, Philippines – Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines are urged to welcome the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration as an opportunity for their tremendous growth. But the challenges must be addressed soonest for the sector to realize its potentials, experts said in…

From the Department of Labor and Employment Secretary of Labor and Employment Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday revealed that she has issued general authority to 426 Labor Law Compliance Officers (LLCOs) to visit a total of 76,766 establishments all over the country this year to ensure their compliance with all labor laws and occupational health and safety…

(Updated 9:27 a.m.) Some 3.9 million Filipino families said they experienced going hungry in the first quarter of 2014, according to a new survey by pollster Social Weather Stations.

MANILA, Philippines – Sustained economic growth, continued improvement in governance and reduction of sectors in which foreign participation is limited will be crucial to achieving the European Union’s (EU) aim of doubling its investments in the country in the next five years.

A solo parent shares her life as a ‘Nay-Tay’ and her support for all other solo parents in the Philippines As I sit here contemplating, I realized that this day, Mother’s Day is no different from other days, especially for us “Nay-Tays” or Nanay na, Tatay pa (mom and dad).

Canada has temporarily stopped hiring foreign workers, including Filipinos, in its fast food sector due to allegations of abuse on its Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP).

The Philippines’ rehabilitation efforts in areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) proves to be a disaster in itself 6 months on. A governance and climate change specialist said the country’s system is “designed to fail for massive disasters.” The government, he said, have to improve on the “most important matters,” namely providing…

An estimated number of 60,000 families reside along Manila’s creeks and waterways MANILA, Philippines – The Department of the Interior and Local Government relocated about 4,400 informal settler families (ISFs) living along major esteros (creeks) and waterways in Metro Manila.

MANILA, Philippines – A total of 353 private universities and colleges have filed petitions to increase their tuition and other fees this coming school year, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said yesterday.

Pakistan is one of three countries where polio is endemic Pakistan was close to eradicating polio 10 years ago. But conspiracy theories, a Taliban ascendancy and drive-by shootings of polio workers have reversed the gains. The BBC’s M Ilyas Khan reports from the frontline of the government’s war against the virus and the militants’ war…

REGULATORS have ordered the implementation of another temporary price cap for power traded at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), seeking to shelter consumers from volatility.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has received a one-notch credit upgrade to BBB “with a stable outlook” from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services – the highest the country has received so far from any credit ratings firm.

MANILA, Philippines—It may be high time to put a stop to Metro Manila’s reliance on Angat Dam and consider directly getting water from the 90,000-hectare Laguna Lake, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said on Thursday.

Philippine merchandise exports grew by 11 percent to $5.227 billion in March from $4.699 billion a year earlier, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported Friday, citing higher shipments in electronics and other manufactures.

MANILA, Philippines—Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman on Wednesday condemned the use of children as human shields by the communist New People’s Army (NPA) as the latter retreated from an encounter with the military in Compostela Valley late last month.

• Epidemic in Santa Clara County, with 300 claims from workers each month • 6.4 percent of women, 2 percent of men among SF Bay Area’s 380,000 Filipinos are in the care industry • Stricter enforcement of labor laws, harsher punishment for violators recommended SANTA CLARA, California — In a report it released recently, the…

WASHINGTON – The Philippines made notable improvements in investment, business and monetary freedoms and control of government spending in the previous year, making its economy the 89th freest in the world.

SUBIC, Philippines—The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Central Luzon on Tuesday stopped the operations of the subcontractor of a Korean-owned shipbuilding company here following the death of a worker in its shipyard facility last week.

From the Department of Foreign Affairs The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that the European Commission Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DGMOVE) acted favorably on the department’s request for additional time, which would allow the Philippines’ Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to implement structural and policy changes to meet regulatory standards set by the…