SOME 1.124 million state workers will get pay hikes over the next four years under a P123.8-billion salary package approved by the House appropriations committee.

MANILA, Philippines—Vice President Noli de Castro and senators Manny Villar, Loren Legarda and Francis Escudero retained their positions as the “top recommended successors” to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the Social Weather Stations (SWS) Survey for the First Quarter of 2009.

Ending the crisis and transforming the global economy Brussels, (ITUC OnLine): The world is facing its gravest economic crisis in over 60 years.  Tens of millions of jobs are being lost due to the greed, plunder and incompetence which have, through decades of free market deregulation, led the world into deep recession.

The United Nations in its latest report has identified the Philippins among countries with grave violations against children.

MANILA, Philippines – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said it is likely for remittances to actually grow in the second half of this year, with the anticipated increase in labor deployment to the Middle East.

MANILA, Philippines – People complaining of torture in the country have brought their case before a United Nations body in Geneva, Switzerland even as the Philippine government faces a review of its compliance with the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, and Degrading Treatment and Punishment by the international human rights panel.

SEOUL: Hospitals will be allowed directly to seek foreign patients from May as part of South Korea’s efforts to become Asia’s new medical tourism hub, officials said Tuesday.

The likelihood of the Supreme Court reversing its ruling on a formula that raised the number of party-list representatives is far-fetched, Chief Justice Reynato Puno said yesterday.

Much policy advice has been given to facilitate global finance, trade and investments to connect with the global economy. But much less to reinforce local communities and local markets where people live and want to stay if given the opportunity. Strengthening local communities in developing countries is also a means to help those who will…

MANILA, Philippines – A congresswoman from Mindanao, which supplies more than 40 percent of the country’s corn requirements, is proposing an increase in the government’s buying price for corn from P7 to P13 per kilo.

MANILA, Philippines – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) warned Southeast Asian nations to take timely action to adapt to climate change because the “business as usual” attitude of the world could result in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines experiencing combined damage equivalent to almost 7 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) every year…

MANILA, Philippines – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) expressed optimism that this year’s target growth rate of 3.1 to 4.1 percent could still be attained now that there are indications that the global financial crisis is bottoming out.

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s largest labor group yesterday pushed for the granting of non-monetary benefits as a Labor Day gift for workers nationwide.

Businessmen sent a strong signal yesterday to the government on what important concerns should be addressed most to help companies reduce their operating expenses.

Local officials and community leaders have expressed alarm over a sudden increase in crime incidence and other illegal activities in Davao City which until recently was described as “the most livable city” in the country until the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) painted a different picture.

The Philippines plans to reduce its energy dependence on coal over the next five years to lessen carbon emissions which contribute to climate change, an energy official said yesterday.

Summer means enjoying your health and basking in your vitality: staying out in the sun, swimming amid waves, trekking through mountains forests, long road trips with friends, drinking under stars and picnics by the beach. Sadly this can also mean a summer ruined by sunburn, dehydration and heat exhaustion, near drowning and jellyfish stings, mosquito…

THE Philippine economic outlook is getting direr by the month. Last week the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued the worst forecast yet for the country.

SINGAPORE: Crude prices continued to decline in Asian trade Tuesday on worries that a global swine flu outbreak would hurt air travel and reduce oil demand, analysts said.

THE Philippine jobs situation remains uncertain amid the global economic slowdown, according to the International Labor Organizations (ILO), even as some employers see joblessness bottoming out soon.

The Philippines, the world’s biggest supplier of merchant sailors, Tuesday called on fellow APEC members to improve the protection of ships against pirate attacks off Somalia.

MANILA, Philippines–True to form, economists can’t agree on the likely shape of the recovery from the current global economic downturn precipitated by the US financial meltdown. The most pessimistic see an L-shaped trend, implying that the world economy will be lingering at the bottom for a long time. The more sanguine see just a year…

MANILA, Philippines – Agriculture will replace electronics as the country’s biggest export if the government will not be able to develop sophisticated infrastructure that will prevent big ticket investors like Texas Instruments from leaving the country in the next five years, an economist said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – The government is gearing up for a “rebound mode” following upbeat indicators in the global economy, officials said yesterday.

Brussels, (ITUC OnLine): More than 14 million people are expected to take part in some 10,000 activities across the world today, the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers.  Over 2.2 million workers die each year from work accidents and disease, and some 160 million more are injured or become ill.

Asia’s travel industry, struggling with weak demand because of the weak global economy, is bracing for the fallout from the swine flu. But industry analysts say Asia’s 2003 experience with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome may help the region recover quickly from a travel slump.

A group the government commissioned to look into allegations of overpriced fuel prices in the country absolved local oil firms yesterday of charges of collusion and profiteering on prices of oil products.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said yesterday taxi drivers will start issuing receipts to their passengers starting July.

HELSINKI: While many dream to live like a rock star, a life spent playing to sell-out crowds and chasing that number one album can take a real toll on the body, a group of Finnish scientists have found.

There is more than enough water in the world to quench the thirst of mankind many times over. Yet, an Asia Society report released this April warns an emerging water crisis could trigger security problems in Asia. In other words, war could break out between provinces or regions in one country, or between Asian nations,…