MANILA, Philippines – Power plant owners are pushing for the full commercial operation of the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) to address the concern of power shortage in the future.

MANILA, Philippines – Foreign direct investments (FDI) in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone dropped by more than 67 percent for the first 11 months of the year to $73.82 million, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) reported.

MANILA, Philippines – The Board of Investments (BOI) reported over the weekend that investments went down this year when compared to the previous year, underscoring the possibility that the agency will be missing its investment target for the year.

MANILA, Philippines – Two leading analyst groups, IDC and Gartner, have brought out their informed reports and surveys that set the stage for what the IT, consumer electronics and telecommunications sector can expect in the next 12 months.

MANILA, Philippines – The growth of value of existing clients, the improvement of efficiency and the acquisition of new clients are key commercial drivers of Asian-based contact centers.

NEW YORK – More US workers, hoping to make ends meet in the recession, have turned to direct selling, but revenues are not keeping pace with growth in the sales force. The ranks of people selling wares out of their homes, at parties and door-to-door grew by 100,000 last year to 15.1 million in the…

MANILA, Philippines—The third quarter, considered the lean season in the local tourism industry, exceeded expectations as tourist arrivals grew by 17 percent to 5.2 million visitors, the Department of Tourism said.

MANILA, Philippines—A year after it has taken effect, the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) was reviewed here by both parties Friday as required by the treaty.

COPENHAGEN – A major bloc of developing nations on Saturday called a draft climate deal in Copenhagen the “worst in history” and hinted it may try to block it.

The Department of Health (DoH) has announced that the reported number of new HIV infections by the end of 2009 will increase by more than 100 percent compared to 2007.

MANILA, Philippines – Corporate and individual borrowers have been enjoying lower rates as banks have slashed interest rates by 2.1 percentage points since the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) started its easing cycle to boost the slackening domestic economy.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has reaffirmed its commitment to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) as both countries expressed general satisfaction in the overall achievements of the year-old trade agreement.

MANILA, Philippines – Police arrested yesterday the alleged leaders of a gang that employs minors to prey on shoppers in Divisoria, Manila. This developed as police doubled its patrols in the area following an upsurge in robberies and thefts reported by shoppers.

MANILA, Philippines – The workers’ union of the newly created Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has petitioned the Supreme Court to stop the agency from appoint newly-hired consultants and outsiders into plantilla positions supposed to be given to former employees of the Air Transportation Office (ATO).

MANILA, Philippines – A Lebanese employer was convicted for abusing a Filipino domestic worker, the first conviction for employee abuse in the Middle Eastern country, the Philippine embassy in Beirut reported. Fayrouz Farez was sentenced on Dec. 9 to 15 days imprisonment and ordered to pay $34 in court fines, and $7,200 in compensation to…

La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines – Elderly people who wish to continue their studies can still go back to school with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Cordillera Region’s newest scholarship program.

Foreign countries still reeling from global financial crisis deliberately slowed down this year their demand for Filipino workers, according to data released by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

A Lebanese was convicted of beating up a Filipino domestic helper in 2006, the first in the history of Lebanon. Fayrouz Farez was sentenced last Dec. 9 by a Lebanese court to 15 days in prison for beating up Jonalyn Malibago, 29, a native of Quirino province.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) through the initiatives of Commissioner Nenalyn Defensor held a “Consultative Conference on Strategies for the Conservation of Normal Schools as Focused Institutions and Strengthening of Teacher Education Institutions” on December 15, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the HEDC Function Room.

MANILA, Philippines – The government is confident the economy would grow by at least 0.9 percent in the fourth quarter of the year, which would bring full-year growth to at least 0.8 percent, the lower end of the official target range of 0.8 percent to 1.8 percent.

MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile supported yesterday the Debt for Climate Change Adaptation Swap, in which portions of the country’s payments for foreign debts will be used instead for reconstruction and climate adaptation measures.

NEW YORK – The November massacre of 30 media workers in the Philippines made 2009 the deadliest year ever for journalists, according to a report to be released today.

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Canada is set to adopt a law nicknamed after Juana Tejada, a Filipina caregiver who had fought hard to improve the situation of fellow foreign live-in caregivers, it was learned Thursday.

COPENHAGEN — The hour of truth loomed on Thursday at the UN climate talks where countries had to draw a line under procedural squabbles to nail down a deal ahead of one of the largest gatherings of world leaders in history.

MANILA, Philippines – More Filipino workers were hired in various countries abroad despite the prevailing global financial crisis, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported Thursday.

MANILA, Philippines – The government will continue to inject into the economy billions in stimulus funds possibly until 2012 to ensure the country’s full economic recovery, Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Augusto Santos said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – The government will continue to inject into the economy billions in stimulus funds possibly until 2012 to ensure the country’s full economic recovery, Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Augusto Santos said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines – Eight out of 10 Filipinos or 86 percent said they will welcome the New Year with hope, the latest Pulse Asia Ulat ng Bayan national survey showed.

The country’s two largest telecommunications companies, or telcos, have expressed worry about the automated elections next year, because the technical requirements have yet to be issued by the consortium Smartmatic-TIM. Globe Telecom Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. said that the terms of reference for the first fully automated elections in the country ware important to…

COPENHAGEN—If they fail to reach a climate deal in Copenhagen, world leaders flying in their private jets and huddling in five-star hotels will have little to show for their efforts beyond a big, fat carbon footprint.