MANILA, Philippines—House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Thursday welcomed a proposal for the Church to commission its own survey to ascertain the “pulse of the poor” on the reproductive health bill, but predicted it would produce the same results.

MANILA, Philippines — The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday welcomed the pope’s statement on the use of condoms as an acceptable way to halt the spread of AIDS.

MANILA — The Philippines on Thursday reported a sharp jump in HIV-AIDS cases which runs against a global trend of declining infection rates, with young homosexual men most at risk.

MANILA, Philippines — Are students in state universities and colleges (SUCs) misinformed when they staged walkouts and sit-ins against the supposed cut in budgets for their schools in the 2011 national budget?

Message by Atty. Democrito T. Mendoza, President, TUCP during the National Productivity Convention, October 26-27, 2010 So, where is the money going? When production, productivity, incomes are rising in real terms – is P22 increase in minimum wage in Manila (much lower in other regions) all that this 2nd fastest growing economy in ASEAN in…

LAST NOV. 20, a group of about 20 people calling itself Filipino Freethinkers went to the Manila Cathedral where a “Prayer Service for Discernment with Holy Mass—Point of Discernment: RH Bill” was being held. They went there, they said, to express support for the bill. The church bulletin board said, “Everyone is cordially invited.”

Bank loans easier to tap in Q3 MANILA, Philippines—Local businesses found it easier to tap bank loans in what regulators said was an encouraging development that could help sustain a “respectable” growth rate for the economy.

MANILA, Philippines – Runaway interest rates of credit cards have become a major cause of concern among congressmen who have sought to limit bank rates on credit card transactions.

THE country’s abaca-fiber shipments abroad went up by 115.6 percent to 7,093.18 metric tons (MT) or 56,745.4 bales of 125 kilograms in January to August 2010, according to figures released by the Fiber Industry Development Authority (Fida).

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Wednesday that many of the deported overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Lebanon have experienced maltreatment from abusive employers and illegal recruiters.

MANILA, Philippines – HIV cases in the Philippines are rising as the epidemic continues. From 835 cases in 2009, HIV cases have reached 1,305 in the first 10 months of this year. The rising number of cases is happening amid a worldwide decline in HIV infection rates.

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) – The local economy expanded by 6.5% in the third quarter from a year ago, below market expectations and slower than the growth in the first half, data from the economic planning agency showed.

FAILURE TO prosecute perpetrators behind media killings and a weak justice system are reasons violence against journalist persists in the country, making it the most dangerous place for media workers in the world, an official of the United Nations (UN) said.

THE COST to the Philippine government of services for the aged should remain manageable up to 2050, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) said in a country study released earlier this week.

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino parents must learn to teach their children about body parts and their basic rights to prevent them from being abused, the Child Protection Unit (CPU) of the Philippines said Thursday.

AURORA GOV TO RH ALLIES: BALER, Aurora—Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, one of the original supporters of the reproductive health (RH) bill when she served as Aurora representative, said advocates, instead of arguing with Church leaders, should lobby for ordinances in local governments to promote RH rights and family planning.

MANILA, Philippines—It could be in the way the questions are phrased. A retired bishop Wednesday floated the idea of the Church initiating an extensive survey at the diocesan level to validate whether majority of Filipinos favored the reproductive health (RH) bill.

THE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said it is mulling to issue another set of moratorium order on “oversubscribed” courses being offered by higher education institutions (HEI). Commission Chairman Dr. Patricia Licuanan said they are “looking again” at other courses that could also be oversubscribed such as the likes of nursing, teacher education, business administration,…

Migrante-Middle East said the Philippine Labor Overseas Office in Al-Khobar has confirmed that the 32, including 26 women, were apprehended by the Saudi police in a continuing government crackdown on over-staying expatriates.

A landmark study across four continents has shown that a daily dose of an oral antiretroviral drug reduced the number of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections among sexually active gay men by 44 percent, researchers said on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).

WASHINGTON (AP) — Unemployment is set to remain higher longer than previously thought, according to new projections from the Federal Reserve that would mean more than 10 million Americans remain jobless through the 2012 elections — even as a separate report shows corporate profits reaching their highest levels ever.

MANILA, Philippines – Knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) services will be key to expanding the outsourcing industry and helping it attain its revenue goals, an industry executive said.

MANILA, Philippines – Subsidies extended to government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) jumped 54 percent in the first 10 months of the year as financial assistance to cash-strapped National Food Authority (NFA) reached P7.7 billion as of end-October, the Bureau of Treasury reported yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – A Manila City Hall team has rescued recently some 14 minors who are allegedly used by syndicates to perpetrate their illegal activities on the streets.

VATICAN CITY – In a seismic shift on one of the most profound – and profoundly contentious – Roman Catholic teachings, the Vatican said Tuesday that condoms are the lesser of two evils when used to curb the spread of AIDS, even if their use prevents a pregnancy.

MANILA, Philippines – Amid continuing debate over the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, the Department of Health (DOH) recorded 104 new cases last month.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had conducted a stakeholder dialog with public/private utilities due to the alarming reports of inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists brought by irresponsible road diggings along major thoroughfares in Metro Manila.

MANILA, Philippines – A landmark document protecting and promoting the rights of children has turned 21 years old on November 20.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict’s landmark acknowledgement that condoms are sometimes morally justifiable to stop AIDS can apply to anyone — gays, heterosexuals and transsexuals — if that is the only option to avoid transmitting the HIV virus to others, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

THE AQUINO Administration launched its Public-Private Partnership program (PPP), which aims to put in place a world-class infrastructure system for the country, at the recently concluded international conference at the Marriott Hotel from November 17-19. The conference was jam-packed (at least during its opening) despite the $2,600 attendance fee charged each participant.