WASHINGTON (AFP) – US consumer prices barely rose in December amid a sluggish recovery from recession, official data showed Friday, as falling wages pinched spending that drives most of the world’s largest economy.

Haribon Foundation is currently implementing the GOLDEN, or Governance and Local Development of Endangered Forests, Landscapes and Seascapes Project (GF/LS) in Surigao del Sur province, covering Lanuza Bay and two important biodiversity areas (IBAs)—Mount Hilong-hilong and Mount Diwata Ranges. The goal of the project is to protect endangered tropical rainforests and coastal areas in the…

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) said that latest results of the nationwide random drug testing (RDT) administered in public and private secondary schools show a very low drug use rate among school children.

SYDNEY – Couch potatoes, beware. Sitting in front of the television for hours daily could shorten your life, according to an Australian study.

MANILA, Philippines – Don’t expect the Department of Health (DOH) to rattle off lists of “mentally ill” government employees any time soon.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called on Filipinos not to vote for candidates supporting the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and other Southeast Asian (SEA) economies are recovering faster from the global economic crisis than the rest of Asia and the emerging markets, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a study.

Do you know how difficult it is to get good people to work for you? And do you know how challenging it is to have the same good people remain with you when they are offered better positions and better pay somewhere else and when I say somewhere else I mean your competitors?

MANILA, Philippines – Two Filipino seamen arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday after suffering third-degree burns when their cargo ship’s boiler exploded as they were fixing it on Jan. 11.

MANILA, Philippines – Being the first physician to head the commission concerned with the bureaucracy, Francisco Duque III believes his appointment cannot have better timing especially with a study claiming that 30 percent of state workers in Metro Manila have mental disorders.

MANILA, Philippines – One in five Filipino women under 50 years old have suffered physical abuse since the age of 15, a latest government survey released yesterday showed.

MANILA, Philippines – The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the state-owned pension fund for government employees, reminded yesterday agencies to submit the names of members availing of early retirement at least 60 days prior to their preferred retirement date to ensure the judicious settlement of their benefits.

MANILA, Philippines – Money sent home by Filipinos abroad accelerated to its fastest level in 14 months due to the continued deployment of skilled workers abroad, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. reported yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is now looking at getting some US senators to sponsor the Save Act in the US Senate to fast track the passing of the bill which will help the local garments industry.

Ganito tayo noon, ganito tayo ngayon (Social development)

1. 1-AANI 2. 1-Aangat Pilipino (1-AK) 3. 1ST Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy (1-CARE) 4. 1-Ako Babaing Astig Aasenso (1-ABAA) 5. 1Guardians Nationalist of the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – One in 5 Filipino women aged under 50 have suffered physical abuse since the age of 15, according to a government survey released Friday.

HARLOW, Essex – Like Filipino nurses who leave the Philippines to find better job prospects elsewhere, UK’s home grown nurses are also leaving the country to seek opportunities abroad.

MANILA, Philippines – Prospects are bright for Asian economies this year as the region is expected to post higher growth compared to 2009.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) is upbeat that the economy is now slowly recovering, citing the upward trend in almost all leading economic indicators (LEI).

Second of three parts (This is the second part of the speech I gave during the Annual Convention and Seminar Workshop for Campus Advisers and the 13th Annual National Convention and Seminar Workshops for Student Leaders held in Baguio last year. It was attended by more or less 600 faculty-advisers and student leaders from the…

An information technology (IT) expert has urged the public to pressure the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to abort automation and revert to manual elections, saying the probability of failure is “extremely high.”

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino women still have babies who are unwanted or unplanned despite a steady increase in contraceptive use in the last 30 years, according to a government survey.

MANILA, Philippines – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) yesterday attributed the rise in hunger incidence in the country to the impact of typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” and not to inflation.

MANILA, Philippines – THE risks reporters in the Philippines face made world headlines in November 2009 when a warlord family in Mindanao allegedly organized a massacre in which 31 journalists were among 57 people killed.

During last April’s bidding for the election automation, Smartmatic admitted it was going to use voting machines of Dominion Co. of Canada. Rival bidders questioned this. Comelec rules specifically stated that the automation contractor must not be a mere sales agent, and may not sub-contract the manufacturing. But the complaints of Election Systems & Services…

LEGAZPI CITY , Philippines  – Communist rebels in Bicol collect between P20,000 and P500,000 from politicians to allow them to campaign in areas under their control, the military said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – Nearly five out of 10 Filipino adults believe there will be another show of people power if there is a failure of elections in May, a survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed.

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed its ruling last year that reversed an earlier decision disqualifying a town mayor for premature campaigning.

MANILA, Philippines – Beverage companies are allegedly hoarding sugar which adds to the supply shortage and the increase in the price of the product, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said yesterday.