Ayala firm gets 15-year contract extension MANILA, Philippines–Water rates in Metro Manila will no longer be increased—at least for this year.

Fast food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) has embarked on an aggressive expansion overseas, saying its operations remain strong despite the global economic downturn.

Fitch Ratings has cut its economic growth forecast for the Philippines to just 0.5 percent this year from a January forecast of 2.5 percent, reflecting shrinking consumption on the back of falling remittances and rising unemployment.

Some of the most amazing discoveries in medicine occur when researchers notice that a drug meant to treat one thing can treat something else. One of the best-known examples is aspirin. While it is a commonly used painkiller, doctors discovered it also helps prevent heart attacks.

COMPARED to other developing countries, the Philippines has a reasonable amount of internal funding, better infrastructure, higher health expenditures per capita, and more institutional capacity.

Dear PAO, I have been wanting to seek guidance regarding my recent dismissal from work. Please help me. I feel that I have been wronged but I do not know how to proceed and I am currently without funds.

FILIPINO health researchers have produced breakthroughs that contribute new knowledge, techniques, preventive strategies and pharmaceuticals.

HEALTH research in the Philippines has crossed over from mostly intellectual work into practical and expanding applications.

Problem is not that we have too few health research work. “DYNAMIC, realistic, responsive, and relevant.” This is what health research in the Philippines should be, according to Dr. Jaime Montoya, executive director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Responding to the challenge of strengthening democracy and restoring trust in our electoral process is the primary aim of Task Force 2010, a movement formed by different election watchdogs.

Writers, poets, musicians and even the man destiny declared to be national hero fell for the muse named Pasig. A century later, men still stumbled upon each other for her charms—but this time, to reclaim the beauty she has lost.

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is extending by three months the medical insurance coverage of hundreds of workers who were laid off as a result of the global recession.

THE HEAT is on Speaker Prospero Nograles. And he is sweating because he could not produce 196 signatures to support the resolution authored principally by Representative Luis Villafuerte calling for Charter change (Cha-cha) via a constituent assembly (con-ass). Implicit is the unspoken undertone that the con-ass would eventually install the parliamentary system.

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) should go after factories polluting Manila Bay instead of small fishermen and the urban poor, a militant fisherfolk group said yesterday.

MANILA, Philippines–The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) of the Department of Agriculture plans to strengthen partnerships with the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Biotech) and state universities and colleges (SUCs) to increase the value and competitiveness of traditional crops intended for local and world markets.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) will evaluate developments in the economy before filing a wage petition this year.

Editor’s note: The first part reported that the Botika ng Barangay was not as widespread as President Gloria Arroyo recently said. The village drugstore, which is a source of affordable medicines, has yet to expand to the poorest provinces in the Philippines.

MANILA, Philippines – The problem of effective enforcement of environmental laws does not only concern the police and prosecutors, but the judiciary.

MANILA, Philippines – More highly skilled workers are likely to get employed in Algeria despite the prevailing global economic crisis, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday.

CEBU, Philippines – In celebration of its 55th founding anniversary, Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines yesterday urged the workers to be vigilant and prepared to face the worsening global economic crisis.

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino doctors and dentists can now practice in other countries that are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

DAGUPAN CITY , Philippines  – Only 10 out of 100 seminarians go on to become priests, and of those ordained, two percent would usually ask for dispensation.

MANILA, Philippines – High school and college students can now look forward to employment in government and private companies even before they graduate.

Majority of Filipino investors are worried about their jobs as companies are likely to defer expansion plans this year amid the global economic crisis, a Dutch investment bank reported.

FOREIGNERS have started buying shares of listed Philippine companies and other peso-denominated financial assets in March due to the country’s favorable economic data. In a statement, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said net foreign portfolio investments—which is incoming less outgoing foreign money—posted a net inflow of $32.2 million in March from the $198.7-million net outflow…

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s balance of payments (BOP) slipped into a deficit level of $472 million at the end of March as government debt payments used up foreign exchange, paring down the first quarter balance to a $1.732-billion surplus.

MANILA, Philippines – Local automotive parts makers are looking at expanding their market and selling their products in Taiwan as they participated in the recently concluded 2009 Taipei International Auto Parts (AMPA) show.

WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund on Thursday forecast a prolonged, deep global recession in a crisis “nobody is escaping,” with recovery slow and difficult.

Religious group leaders Mike Velarde of El Shaddai and Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus is Lord Movement cannot join the moral force initiated by Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno if they run for public office in 2010.

THE Bataan nuclear power plant, which never produced a single watt of electricity but cost taxpayers $155,000 a day for more than 30 years, has been sold for scrap for $2.859 million.