Five members of the Dutch Senate, who belong to various major parties, raised last week questions aimed at upholding the rule of law and the rights of exiled Filipino communist leader Jose Ma. Sison.

Supply of imported fuel products would only last for two weeks as oil firms continued to take a hit from Malacañang’s grip on fuel prices, Energy Sec. Angelo Reyes said Monday. During an industry meeting, Reyes cited projections made by the Department of Energy (DOE) that the supply of imported petroleum finished products, which constitute…

VICTIMS SAY NOYNOY’S SECURITY AIDE HAD SHOT THEM Workers of Hacienda Luisita are seeking the reopening of the House of Representatives’ investigation into the frustrated murder case of three farm hands of the sprawling Tarlac estate after the victims’ co-workers yesterday said they were willing to testify that it was a security aide of Sen.…

From a high of 60 percent, it is now down to half or 30 percent. While maintaining his lead over other presidential aspirants in the latest survey conducted by The Issues and Advocacy Center, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino’s popularity is seen to be on the decline which the Center described as a “stationary dive.”

You’ve had a bad day. You’re feeling cranky and lonely. What to do? Aside from finding ways to fix your problem, try these comfort foods to make you happy. The secret is in choosing foods rich in omega-3 fats, folic acid, selenium, and vitamin B12. These nutrients can lift your mood, so let’s check them…

Final-G20 2009_communique_standrews download here

Cancer cases linked to mineral rise sharply MONTREAL — An aggressive cancer linked to asbestos is killing more Canadians than ever before, even decades after the end of a boom that saw buildings stuffed with the toxic substance.

Member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines representing Akbayan The migrant worker experience is one that is increasingly typical. Let’s start with myself. I am now back in the Philippines, but I spent nearly 20 years as a political exile in the United States during the Marcos dictatorship. During that time I survived…

MANILA, Philippines—Since around Israeli aircraft dropped some 100 bombs on the Gaza Strip in December last year, less than a hundred Filipinos have come home, mostly wives and children of Palestinian residents. No caregivers have come home from Israel.

MANILA, Philippines – Albay Gov. Joey Salceda warned yesterday that the government’s much-vaunted massive reconstruction effort could fail as the special public-private commission created for the purpose did not turn out as originally envisioned.

MANILA, Philippines – Supply of refined sugar has tightened and consumers have reported soaring sugar prices in recent days despite a government-imposed price cap.

If you see yourself as prosperous, you will be. If you see yourself as continually hard up, that is exactly what you will be. — Robert Collier Within each of us lies the power of our consent to health and sickness, to riches and poverty, to freedom and to slavery. It is we who control…

As Congress enters its last remaining weeks before the next round of elections, when it resumes sessions this week, a senator is pushing the enactment of a law effectively lifting senior citizens from value-added tax in goods and services.

The Philippines was ranked anew among the most dangerous places for journalists so far this year as the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) released data yesterday showing 54 journalists having been reported killed while in the line of duty with seven deaths in the Philippines.

Cruising has come a long way since the old days of Love Boat, shuffleboard and steerage-level accommodations. “It’s exciting, it’s sexy, it’s romantic,” says Pier Luigi Foschi, chairman and CEO of Costa Crociere SpA.

MANILA, Philippines – The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the state-owned pension fund for government employees, has started the implementation of its one-year moratorium program for members affected by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

THE Board of Investments (BOI) admitted that the government’s Motor Vehicle Development Program (MVDP) has been a failure. On the sidelines of a workshop, Efren Leaño, executive director of the incentives-giving agency, told reporters that MVDP was “not successful.”

SINGAPORE: The Asia-Pacific region has become the largest victim of climate change as roughly 70 percent of the natural disasters, believed to be caused by global warming, struck this region, a regional forum report said Sunday. Climate change is believed to contribute to the increasing number of natural disasters, with developing nations experiencing the most…

When I was a kid I had this toy, a maze enclosed in hard transparent plastic, which you had to tilt up or down or sidewards so that a droplet of liquid could find its way through the broken lines and corners. I remember being fascinated with the beautiful silvery-white bead as it moved to…

WE hear it loud and clear, if not read it more than 1,953 times from annual reports and mission statements. I’m referring of course to the trite phrase “our people are the most important asset of the organization.”

Brussels, 9 November 2009 (ITUC OnLine): The world’s trade union movement has welcomed the decision by G20 Finance Ministers meeting in St Andrews, Scotland, to keep jobs high on the agenda for economic recovery and reform, and to “maintain government support for the recovery until it is assured”.  The meeting also decided that the ILO…

MANILA, Philippines – Petron Corp., the country’s largest oil refining and marketing company, yesterday urged the government to examine its books to put an end to speculation that it is overpricing.

MANILA, Philippines – The League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) has pledged to support the zero-waste management campaign and transform garbage dumps into eco-parks to control climate change that results into natural calamities.

A Resolution Condemning the Senseless Massacre of Innocent Civilians, Workers and Journalists in Ampatuan, Maguindanao and Calling on the Government to Enforce the Full Authority of the Law Against the Perpetrators of the Heinous Crime Download the text in PDF format

A Resolution Urging the Philippine Delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Signatories to the Copenhagen Agreement To Be Mindful of the Social and Economic Impacts of the New Protocol, Particularly on the Need to Transform Job Losses into New Green Opportunities for Philippine Labor, and Providing Safety Nets…

An Act Mandating the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to Include Financial Education in the Secondary and Tertiary Education Curriculum. Mandates the DepEd and the CHED to include financial education in their respective curriculums. Download the text in PDF format

An Act Providing Protection to Credit Card Holders by Setting a Ceiling on Interest Rates and Surcharges and Prohibiting Hidden Penalties or Costs Imposed by Credit Card Companies, Banks, and Similar Institutions on Purchases and Cash Advances Made through Such Facility – Puts into effect the cap on interest rates of 1% per month and…

An Act Fixing the Probationary Period of Employment of Academic Personnel in Private Schools, Amending for that Purpose Presidential Decree No. 442, as Amended, Otherwise Known as the Labor Code of the Philippines Seeks to provide a mandatory maximum probationary period of one (1) school year for professors, instructors and teachers and other academic personnel…

ALONG with officials from the World Bank and the International Finance Corp., I spoke in a panel discussion on stable economy and improved investment climate organized by the WB Manila office last week. The discussion was meant to guide WB on how to advise the new administration that is expected to take over next year…

IN the boardrooms of Japan’s top corporations can be heard the chuckles of disbelief over the new government’s people-first agenda to jump-start the economy. The sniggers, however, soon give way to a sober realization among members of the so-called Keidanren: the old ways that gave birth to, and nurtured Japan Inc., may soon vanish.