ROME (AP) — The global financial meltdown has pushed the ranks of the world’s hungry to a record 1 billion, a grim milestone that poses a threat to peace and security, UN food officials said.

But the flu scare has not only affected the academic community. In fact the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) had already formed a special task force to ensure implementation of disease prevention measures in workplaces nationwide.

In January, a government official (I won’t name him so he’s not further embarrassed than I hope he is already) said: “The Philippines is feeling the impact of the global crisis. But our economy is tough, and this has been acknowledged by many rating agencies. The economy will be even more resilient as pesos are…

The technical level of the Committee on Tariff and Related Matters has endorsed the extension of the zero duties on cement and food wheat imports for another six months in a bid to lower prices of the commodities.

TOKYO — The Philippines and Japan have agreed to convene immediately a joint working group that will draw up a bilateral Social Security Agreement (SSA) to facilitate convenient pension premium and benefit payments by and for both expatriate employers and employees, and further promote closer relations between the two countries.

Understanding loneliness can be very complicated because so many various factors can come into play even if lonely people feel dissatisfied, deprived and distressed. But in addition to this, people can have different kinds of feelings depending upon their situation.

Many senatorial hopefuls of diverse political persuasions are scaling down their election plans in 2010 because of poor ratings in recent surveys.

TOKYO—Health experts have long warned of the risk of obesity, but a new Japanese study warns that being very skinny is even more dangerous, and that slightly chubby people live longest.

THE Philippines is slowly becoming a destination for cruise ship passengers from Europe and the United States, and their number is expected to double in the coming months.

MANILA, Philippines – Nearly half of the estimated eight million Filipinos employed in 190 countries abroad are young workers, the International Labor Organization (ILO) reported yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines—Canadian electronics firm Celestica Inc. is shutting down its factory in the central Philippines, with the loss of about 1,000 jobs, the government said Friday.

TARLAC CITY, Philippines—A Filipino child dies every hour from accidental injuries. Some 200,000 others get hospitalized for the same reasons and 8.2 million more youngsters need medical attention.

BODRUM, Turkey (Reuters) –The International Monetary Fund is likely to revise up its 2010 growth forecast for the world economy with signs that the rate of decline in global output has moderated, a senior IMF official said on Friday.

MANILA, Philippines–Demand for business process outsourcing services in Western Europe and North America will continue, a recent report from research firm Ovum said.

For seafarers’ health research WALES, United Kingdom—Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III, a Filipino medical doctor based in Cardiff University here, won back-to-back awards from two different international health conferences in recognition of his research work on the health of seafarers.

Brussels, (ITUC OnLine): The adoption of a landmark Global Jobs Pact http://www.ilo.org/global/What_we_do/Officialmeetings/ilc/ILCSessions/98thSession/pr/lang–en/docName–WCMS_108437/index.htm by governments, trade unions and employers at the annual ILO Conference today provides a realistic and workable template for economic recovery and reform, according to the ITUC.

MANILA, Philippines — As more and more people contract the Influenza A(H1N1) virus, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) called on employers to relax their sick leave rules to encourage staff members to stay at home if they develop flu symptoms.

One in four South African men questioned in a survey said they had raped someone, and nearly half admitted having attacked more than one victim.

MANILA, Philippines – The race for the 2010 presidency is narrowing down to three choices, with Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. now taking the lead from Vice President Noli de Castro, a survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s largest labor organization yesterday called on the government to ease the existing sick leave rules as a measure to prevent further spread of Influenza A(H1N1).

Calamity fund tapped to boost fight vs. A (H1N1)   THE continued spread of Influenza A(H1N1) in the Philippines may slow economic growth in the second quarter as Filipino consumers are likely to defer going to the mall to spend, according to pundits.

SEOUL: The global economic crisis is also a social crisis in Asia, with an estimated 60 million people remaining mired in poverty because of falling growth rates, according to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) executive.

CEBU, Philippines – The disgruntled workers of a Taiwanese lampshade factory at the Mactan Export Processing Zone II are calling the Philippine Export Zone Authority to enforce labor standards and protect labor rights in the export zone.

MANILA, Philippines – The government, it seems, continue to create state colleges and universities (SCUs) more than it can sufficiently support.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine banking system does not need to be subjected to a “stress test” similar to what banking regulators are implementing in the US.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), reportedly plans to spend up to P700 million this year on a fertilization program for the coconut sector.

IT may be a relatively new entrant to the Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, but since its formal opening by President Gloria Arroyo in January this year, StarTek has wasted little time in establishing its corporate social responsibility (CSR) credentials.

Filipinos are trumping all apparent attempts to prevent the holding of the May 2010 elections, through Charter change or other means. Even the legal Left is gearing to field four senatorial candidates through Makabayan, a regular political party its stalwarts have just set up.

THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Wednesday warned that “expensive” oil prices would push consumer prices higher, which would further burden the country that is already on the brink of a recession.

President Gloria Arroyo signed Wednesday the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) III that is expected uplift the condition of country’s government employees and boost the nation’s economy.