MANILA, Philippines – In response to calls from the business sector for an early announcement of the schedule of holidays, President Arroyo has released presidential proclamation declaring all the holidays for 2010.

When long-time Clark Development Corp. director Benigno N. Ricafort assumed on Aug. 1 last year the position of CDC president and chief executive officer, the cloud of the global financial crisis was there hanging over his head.

Second in a series on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s 9th State of the Nation Address A yearly calendar of shock-and-awe stories that involve corruption in high places and weak leadership.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronnie Puno has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to strengthen and expand its Women and Children Protection Desks (WCPDs) nationwide by forging partnerships with volunteer groups and by continuously training and familiarizing police officers on promoting the women’s and children’s rights.

MANILA, Philippines – Despite the scandals that rocked her administration since she took over the government in January 2001, President Arroyo has “done better” than her predecessors.

The leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) should be condemned for its cavalier treatment of the rape and sexual harassment raps filed by six women — including three members of the Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk of the Davao del Sur provincial office, as well as the wife of a junior officer — against…

MANILA, Philippines – With recent forecasts of major world economies moving out of recession and the revised outlook on the US economy, the Philippine government has become even more confident the country would avoid a recession this year.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said 900 local government units (LGUs) nationwide have “committed” to establish materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in their respective barangays in compliance with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (Republic Act 9003), as the agency concluded its “Zero Basura” caravan in Davao City last week.

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Manuel Villar has emerged as the top choice of Filipinos to be the next president in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

MANILA, Philippines – High-level corruption in the Philippines abound while cronyism and influence peddling are rife in business and government, according to a new country report of the Freedom House.

Under Article 282 (b) of the Labor Code, the services of a regular employee may be terminated for gross and habitual negligence. This case of Mat illustrates the meaning of gross negligence and answers the issue of whether an employee can be dismissed for gross negligence even if it is not habitual.

MANILA, Philippines – The World Bank is funding a a comprehensive study that will measure PC and Internet penetration in the Philippines.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has signed Department of Education Order 74 nullifying the 35-year-old bilingual directive laid down in the 1970s on English and Filipino as the only languages of instruction. Neither of the languages is the first language (L1) of most Filipinos.

The Philippines can make use of the booming cosmetic surgery industry to bolster government’s campaign to make the country a hub for medical tourism.

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CEBU, Philippines – Five former teachers of Queenship of Mary School located in Lower Calajoan, Minglanilla, Cebu have filed a complaint against the school before the Department of Education alleging that the school has been operating without permit.

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine National Police chief director General Jesus Versoza has ordered an investigation into the alleged abduction and torture of Filipino-American activist Melissa Roxas.

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo signed into law yesterday Republic Act 9679 strengthening the Home Development Mutual Fund or the Pag-IBIG Fund, making it more responsive to the housing needs of Filipinos, including overseas workers.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) yesterday reported that local pharmaceutical companies are set to voluntarily reduce prices of 23 anti-cancer and other essential drugs.

I have had my doubts about it for years. But I thought the only reason agrarian reform doesn’t seem to be working in this country is the way the law has been crafted by a landlord dominated Congress and implemented by an unimaginative, ineffective and possibly corrupt bureaucracy. After all these years, it is no…

Tuba, Benguet , Philippines   – Two pocket miners were dug out dead from a huge landslide that buried their temporary shelter while pocket mining along Barangay Padcal here.

The senators are right. The government is taking too long to issue the order setting the maximum retail price for most-prescribed drugs as provided in the Cheaper Medicine Law passed by Congress one year ago. After a year, shouldn’t cheaper medicines be available in drugstores by now?

Oversubscription blamed   BACOLOD CITY: The truth behind the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) controversy in Bacolod was finally made clear by Tesda Regional Director Buen Mondejar who said the “hold order” for releasing scholarship vouchers was due to “oversubscription” of beneficiaries nationwide.

The UN Development Program said on Tuesday that it would help the Philippines fight rising HIV infections, which reached record monthly levels for the country this year.

PHUKET: Southeast Asia’s first rights body panders to abusers like Myanmar and is virtually powerless, but remains a “historic” step in the right direction, analysts and activists said.

A weak US currency is expected to put fresh pressure on rice prices just a year after a global supply crunch caused the cereal to rocket above $1,000 a ton, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said.

New York based think tank Global Source said that the Philippines would likely avoid a recession this year but would have a snail’s pace growth through next year.

An Italian judge on Wednesday ordered a Belgian man and a Swiss man to stand trial for alleged negligence leading to hundreds of deaths linked to asbestos plants.

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An international think tank sees the Philippine economy growing 3 percent in 2010, from a 1.8-percent contraction this year when the country suffered from the impact of drastic drop in global trade.