CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga, Philippines – A worker was seriously injured in a blast that ripped through a makeshift firecracker factory in Baliuag, Bulacan Wednesday afternoon, police said.

MANILA, Philippines – The Save the Industries Act, the bill that was supposed to save the ailing garments industry of the country, failed to pass the US Congress, the Board of Investments (BOI) said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The year 2010 had been a disappointing year for the agriculture sector.

MANILA, Philippines – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced that starting Jan. 15, the flagdown rate of taxicabs would be P40 from the previous P30.

Last Tuesday was the Holy Innocents Day, when King Herod ordered the killing of all the children in Bethlehem because the Magi did not return to him to inform him where the Messiah was in Bethlehem. The poor innocent little children of Bethlehem became the first Martyrs who died in the name of our Lord…

MANILA, Philippines – Communist rebels have extorted more than P95 million as of end-November this year and P1.5 billion since 1998 from investors and politicians, the military said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino is banking on the love and support of the people to fulfill his campaign promise of reforms.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is eyeing Asian countries as the top destination for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) this year.

COMMENTARY MANILA, Philippines–With the approval of the 2011 national budget, we now have three economic road maps we can compare—the government’s, the people’s, and the World Bank’s. All three are important blueprints for growth, so it is important to see if they jibe.

MANILA, Philippines—Household helpers, or “kasambahay,” have something to look forward to in the new year.

Corporate profits are up. Stock prices are up. So why isn’t anyone hiring? Actually, many American companies are — just maybe not in your town. They’re hiring overseas, where sales are surging and the pipeline of orders is fat.

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Monday signed the P1.645-trillion budget after vetoing 16 items, including a debt cap and the limits on how he could spend the savings from a P21-billion dole, saying those infringed on Executive powers.

THE MANILATIMES 2010 YEARENDER WITH the Philippines hit by one of the worst El Niño episodes in years, the extreme weather conditions of 2010 exposed the power sector’s inability to render reliable support to the country’s electricity needs.

THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) expects the economy to have slowed down in the third quarter of the year. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA Director-General Cayetano Paderanga told reporters that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) may have grown near six percent in the third quarter.

THE Philippine central bank on Wednesday kept its key policy rates on hold for the 13th time amid manageable price trends and favorable economic conditions, but raised its inflation forecast for this year and the next two years.

WITH the recent increase in its budget, the Department of Education (DepEd) said it would focus its attention and resources on pursuing priority projects and developing the kindergarten program for 5-year olds in preparation for the upcoming school year. Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the approval of the P207-billion budget of the department next year—the…

THE MANILATIMES 2010 YEARENDER The bungled Manila hostage crisis, jueteng allegations, excommunication threats and differences with the judiciary were among the controversies that rocked the 6-month-old administration of President Benigno Aquino 3rd.

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s external debt rose to $59.8 billion as of end-September 2010, 4.4 percent higher than the $57.3 billion recorded as of end-June, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. reported yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – To say that 2010 was a difficult year for the Philippine telecommunications industry is an understatement. The industry’s dynamics have changed dramatically. While consumers rejoice about the barrage of unlimited and bucket priced offerings that brought down the costs of text messaging and mobile voice calls, the revenues of telecommunications companies suffered.

The term “K+12” has misled some into thinking that the P-Noy government regards the addition of two years to basic education as the solution to all our education problems. P-Noy has never said that and neither has Secretary Armin Luistro. In fact, P-Noy and Luistro have repeatedly said the opposite, namely, that K+12 is only…

President Aquino has finished six months of his term. He and his Cabinet appointees have had enough time to familiarize themselves with their jobs. The period of on the job training is over.

MANILA, Philippines – More Filipinos are leaving to work as domestic helpers abroad, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The Christmas holiday is almost over, but a lot of workers nationwide have yet to receive their mandated 13th month pay and Christmas bonuses, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

MANILA, Philippines – Relations between the Philippines and China have been strained after the Aug. 23 hostage crisis in Rizal Park in Manila that resulted in the death of eight Hong Kong tourists and the hostage taker.

MANILA, Philippines – More Filipinos are greeting the coming year with hope rather than fear.

MANILA, Philippines—The International Labor Organization (ILO) said Philippine workers were among the most affected by the world economic crisis and expressed concern over the “extremely high risk of low pay” in the country.

Turkey will ban production, use and supply of asbestos as of Friday, a related directorate said on Thursday.

MANILA — A ladybug walking on a green leaf may excite advocates more than the mere mention of migration in government’s new six-year growth plan.

More on raising the employment of the poor in industrial zones The quickest way to get the poor out of their condition is to give them more sustained employment. The special employment zones as discussed earlier present a big solution. These zones will be in industry and agriculture that bring in large scale labor using…

Dear PAO, I have a credit card problem. My children were hospitalized early this year so I was not able to make full payments on the amount due on my credit card. I have paid the principal amount but the bank said that the payment has accrued to the interests.