The combined net income of listed firms grew a fifth in the first six months because of the strong performance of the economy, according to the local bourse. In a statement, the Philippine Stock Exchange(PSE) said the combined earnings of listed companies jumped 20.1 percent to P232.2 billion from P193.36 billion during the same six-month…

The government has raised a little more than a quarter of its revenue target from the sale of assets this year. According to Department of Finance (DOF) Undersecretary John Philip Sevilla, the agency already raised P500 million to P600 million from the disposal of “small” properties.

THE World Bank on Tuesday raised sharply its growth forecast for the Philippines this year as it urged the government to ramp up investments to support growth over the medium term. In its East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, the Washington-based lender projected that the Philippine economy, as measured by its gross domestic product (GDP),…

There were many blasts from the past last week in the first budget interpellation by Congress-woman Gloria Arroyo (Pampanga, second district) since she moved from the Palace to the House of Representatives. The last time she raised questions on the national budget was in the Senate in 1997, before she won the vice presidency the…

When Philippine carriers were banned from flying to Europe earlier this year, the country’s officials sounded downright nonchalant. After all, it was in 1999 when Philippine Airlines had launched its last commercial flight to Europe. Officials evidently thought that the ban imposed by the European Commission (EC) was, well, no big deal.

TRANSPARENCY in government is a cornerstone policy that President Benigno Aquino 3rd has promised to uphold. It has been put in doubt because of his perceived reluctance to divulge the report of the commission that investigated the hostage-taking tragedy on August 23, but he could still make good on his pledge by widening public access…

Malacañang on Tuesday said that a study suggesting that the Aquino government impose new taxes to attain fiscal stability was not done by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). “That is not a NEDA study. It‘s one of the points in a series of workshops NEDA and ADB [Asian Development Bank] sponsored as an…

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines made considerable strides in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) but challenges remained to be hurdled in other areas.

President Aquino will be attending his first full summit where he will sit together with the 20 other leaders simultaneously in an informal face-to-face setting. He would have by then one summit under his belt assuming all goes well and he attends the cozy atmosphere of the 17th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi after having skipped…

MANILA, Philippines – The Climate Change Commission (CCC) said there is a need to rehabilitate and develop the country’s river systems to effectively address the devastation brought about by typhoons.

Unless the economy grows at 7 percent or higher  annually, it will be hard for P-Noy to bring down the country’s poverty rates to a more manageable level of say, less than 20 percent by the time he leaves Malacañang in 2016. It was very high at 33 percent when the country’s poverty incidence was…

Oct. 19–The International Institute for Trade and Development has urged Thailand to prepare for its role as a major logistics hub as Asean economic integration is planned for 2015.

The ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) finally gets a think tank to help it carry out its duty, with the establishment of the Human Rights Resource Center for ASEAN (HRRCA).

MANILA, Philippines – Is there a need for a Philippine embassy in a country with only 173 Filipinos?

Labor officials sternly reminded recruitment firms Wednesday against passing on to prospective overseas Filipino workers the cost of their mandatory insurance coverage.

CEBU, Philippines – While the recovery of the export sector is still uncertain in the next few years, exporters from Cebu and the neighboring provinces are confident to post at least a double-digit growth in the next three years.

Are we witnessing a replay of the 2008 hyperinflation in the price of basic foodstuffs which pushed hundreds of millions of people already living on the margins into the ranks of the acutely hungry? In the past three months, the price of corn futures on the Chicago Board of Trade has increased by 70%

OTTAWA—Canadian mining companies are far and away the worst offenders in environmental, human rights and other abuses around the world, according to a global study commissioned by an industry association but never made public.

As a national follow through on its commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, national and local government officials, together with development partners from the United Nations, the international donor community and civil society, discussed breakthrough strategies and put forward their commitments to speed up implementation of efforts at the first ever…

Concerned by the spate of fatal bus accidents earlier this year, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. has made the sensible suggestion that the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) investigate bus drivers’ working conditions, as he suspects that “lack of sleep and rest between long trips could be a key factor in the rash of…

The Philippines, one of the worst- performing economies in Asia over the past three decades, is finally expected to perform strongly over the next decade, with an annual growth of close to 6 percent, an Asian Development Bank said.

THE unauthorized expense for per diem of a state university has already breached the P1-million mark because of the apparent disregard of university officials on the mandate of the Budget Department. The Commission on Audit (COA) noted that the payment of P5,000 for the chairman and members of the board of regents of Polytechnic University…

Govt reforms to attain fiscal stability wanting THE Aquino administration has to impose new taxes as its tax administrative reforms are insufficient to meet fiscal balance in a sustained manner, according to a study by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). In the study, “A Strategic Framework and Action Plan for Inclusive Growth,” NEDA…

MANILA, Philippines – Treasury bill (T-bills) rates fell across the board during yesterday’s auction on the back of hefty inflows from investors and optimism on the economy.

MANILA, Philippines – Do you want to improve your health and fight off cancer? Maybe you have a history of cancer in your family or a loved one is battling the disease. Maybe you’re dealing with cancer yourself or trying to prevent a recurrence.

MANILA, Philippines – At least 18 percent of motorcycle accident victims are killed, many before reaching a hospital, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday reported a surge in the number of Koreans and other foreigner coming to work in the country in the past few years.

MANILA, Philippines – Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone asked President Aquino yesterday to stop the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corp. from borrowing more than P50 billion next year.

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate’s first hearing into the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) Bill yesterday settled nothing except that support and opposition to the measure are split down the middle.