MANILA, Philippines – The local stock market zoomed to a historic high after it closed at 3,902.56 as a powerful rally overseas and upbeat economic data bolstered investors’ confidence, with some analysts proclaiming the birth of a new bull market.

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has issued an Executive Order suspending all allowances and incentives—including Christmas bonuses—to the board members of government-owned corporations amid a public outcry over these officials’ excessive perks.

MANILA, Philippines—An estimated 9.4 million households, or 50 percent of total households in the country, consider themselves “poor,” while some 7.2 million households, or 38 percent, consider themselves “food-poor,” according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations.

MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations has urged the Philippines to step up efforts at improving social services for the poor, saying in a progress report that the country is at risk of missing the targets on poverty reduction, education, and maternal health stated under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Investments totaling P87 billion were logged by the Department of Energy (DoE) from the 205 contracts already awarded for prospective developments of various renewable energy resources, but hurdles to implementation have yet to be addressed.

Manila, Philippines – With the dawn of the global economic meltdown, lay-offs and retrenchments, finding the job that suits you best may prove to be a not-so-easy feat.

Manila, Philippines — The Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) has assured overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) that their contributions to the Fund are “safe and secure” despite job transfers abroad as it also encouraged inactive members to reactivate their membership.

PHILIPPINE businesses have joined the bandwagon for certification by the United States’ Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED), which has a set of standards for new and existing buildings, in their desire to help in the effort to effectively meet climate change.

Despite its poor performance in corruption polls, the Philippines became one of the founders of the world’s first educational institution dedicated to fighting corruption.

BRUSSELS — Two years after the world economy suffered a nervous breakdown in the wake of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, global financial markets remain unsettled, and the recovery that started so vigorously in 2009 seems to be stalling.

IN order for the Philippines to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on poverty by 2015, the economic managers have estimated that public and private investments in the country need to increase by around P180 billion every year in the next five years.

INVESTMENTS planned in economic zones continued to grow last month, but at about half the pace recorded as of July, data released by a government agency yesterday showed.

CAR SALES could grow by over a fifth this year to top 1996’s record of over 162,000 units, an industry group yesterday said.

Rep. Gloria Arroyo, during her term as president, gave out financial assistance to allies and non-government organizations (NGOs) but failed to liquidate such financial aid, the Commission on Audit (CoA) said, placing the amount at a little less than half a billion, or P447 million.

The excess supply of office space will likely vanish by next year, Jones Lang LaSalle Leechiu (JLLL) said. Lindsay Orr, JLLL chief operating officer, advised property developers to start building office projects this year since they would be ready for occupancy by 2012 when demand stabilizes.

THE Aquino administration has to raise P180 billion in investments a year to attain a higher economic growth path for the next six years and beyond, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said.

President Benigno Aquino 3rd has ordered three months’ suspension of excessive perks and bonuses of top executives of government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) and government financial institutions (GFIs).

THE country leads in ozone preservation among 48 countries, according to data from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). While that is good news, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said that more things need to be done to preserve the ozone layer.

Editor’s note: The third part of this series discussed, among others, how various factors have affected the government’s programs to attain Millennium Development Goals. According to the 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), a woman in the lowest wealth quintile will bear an average of 5.2 children in her lifetime, compared to an average…

MANILA, Philippines – Two Singapore-based institutions have partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the implementation of a training program that aims to boost the skills and competencies of the Filipino workforce.

MANILA, Philippines – The Technical education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) wants colleges and universities to improve their information communication technology (ICT) education curriculum to enable them to produce graduates that are competent and employable IT workers that it said is now much in demand by the local and foreign job markets.

MANILA, Philippines – The UP Board of Regents has approved the offering of the Graduate Certificate in Distance Education (GCDE) by the UP Open University’s Faculty of Education for professionals who are looking for a formal introduction to the field of distance education (DE), including e-learning, and graduate-level training in developing and managing DE and…

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang has cut by nearly half the legal assistance fund for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the proposed P1.645-trillion national budget for next year.

MANILA, Philippines – The country is committed to pursuing its five-year Millennium Development Goals (MDG) through good governance, transparency and accountability in government, President Aquino declared yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino issued yesterday Executive Order 7 suspending the allowances, bonuses and incentives of directors and trustees of government-owned and controlled corporations (COCCs) and government financial institutions (GFIs) for more than three months or until Dec. 1, pending the issuance of new policy and guidelines on their compensation.

Message of FMR. SENATOR ERNESTO F. HERRERA, Ph.D. General Secretary, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) at the PALMCO 19th Annual National Convention, 9-10 September 2010, UP SOLAIR, Quezon City

WASHINGTON—They say money can’t buy happiness. They’re wrong. At least up to a point. People’s emotional well-being—happiness—increases along with their income up to about $75,000, researchers report in Tuesday’s edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

MANILA, Philippines—Malacanang has cut by almost half the legal assistance fund for overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs) in the proposed 2011 national budget from P50 million this year to P27 million next year, it was disclosed Wednesday at the budget hearing in Congress.

NEW YORK, United States—Four million children have died in the past decade because governments have not spread major medical advances to the poor, a leading aid group said Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines—The city environment office of Pasig kept a tight watch on two factories after an open pipe was discovered protruding and discharging white chemical substance into the Marikina River.