Top Philippine News

Equifax Credit Watch - Sponsored Link
Ad - Protect the power of your credit and your identity.

BSP seen to raise interest rates on higher inflation
CONSUMER price increases will pick up further this year and next, prompting the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to raise its key interest rates, according to pundits. In a report, the BSP said private-sector economists expect higher inflation on

Property developers jack up prices
By Likha C. Cuevas-Miel, Reporter PROPERTY developers are about to raise prices-if they haven't already -to cope with costlier raw materials, fuel and soon, labor, and prevent these from eating into their margins. On Thursday, Vista Land and Lifescapes

First-quarter lottery sales jump in Visayas, Mindanao
AMID rising inflation, lottery sales in the Visayas and Mindanao surged in the first quarter, according to the exclusive online systems provider of state-run Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in those areas. In a disclosure to the Philippine

Sales of gas-guzzling autos rise despite costlier fuel
By Katrina Mennen A. Valdez, Reporter DESPITE the soaring price of fuel, Filipinos kept buying gas-guzzling motor vehicles like pickup trucks, vans, and sports utility vehicles (SUVs), with sales of these models in the first four months this year jumping

Philippines to hike IMF contribution by P9B
Each IMF member-country is assigned a quota, based broadly on its relative size in the world economy. The quota determines its maximum financial commitment to the IMF and its voting power, and has a bearing on its access to IMF financing. The Philippines

US BPO firm investing P5.1B in Philippines
This year we will be pumping more than P3.1 billion into the Philippine economy, be it in the form of salaries or training, or other investments. This does not include capital investments, Sutherland chairman and chief executive officer Dilip Vellodi

Arroyo leads crackdown on rice hoarding
MANILA ? Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited prosecutors' offices yesterday to see charges laid against traders accused of hoarding rice, her latest intervention as Manila struggles to ensure stable food supplies. Arroyo demanded that

Three dead in Philippine bombing
COTABATO, Philippines ? Three people were killed and at least five others were wounded when a powerful explosion tore through a van near this southern Philippines city yesterday, officials said. A homemade bomb was the likely cause of the blast, which

Arroyo shuns plea by vegetarians
PHILIPPINES president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has declined an animal rights group's invitation to become a vegetarian as a way to fight hunger in her country. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals has challenged Arroyo to shun meat, saying that

Big biz groups cool to Arroyo call for support vs Meralco
MANILA, Philippines--Three business groups on Friday expressed support for efforts to bring down power rates but distanced themselves from talk of the government possibly wresting control of the Manila Electric Co. from the Lopez group. In separate

Arroyo pushes birth spacing to curb food demand amid crisis
MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo urged the promotion of birth spacing as a family-planning method and part of efforts to curb the demand for food as the price of rice continues to rise in the world market. In birth spacing,

Filipino medical workers ready for Myanmar mission
MANILA, Philippines--The plane is ready and the medical team assembled for the humanitarian mission is all set but the Philippines has yet to receive Myanmar's (Burma) nod to the country's offer of assistance amid a climbing death toll in the

Arroyo joins Customs file smuggling raps vs 11 traders
MANILA, Philippines -- With President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at their side, Customs officials on Friday filed smuggling cases against three companies and 11 persons before state prosecutors. Arroyo also lauded Bureau of Customs (BoC) chief Napoleon

BI nabs 5 Filipinos with fake travel papers at NAIA 2
MANILA, Philippines --The Bureau of Immigration (BI) intercepted five Filipinos trying to leave the country using fake documents. Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said Roberto Abalos, Remelyn Almazan, Ferdinand Almazan, Divina Laurel and Victor

Inflation reverses price boon for Philippine farmers
By Jason Gutierrez , Agence France-Presse MANILA: Trinidad Domingo has just harvested rice from her modest farm in the northern Philippines, but with the price of fertilizer and oil skyrocketing she says she might sit out the next planting season. Just

Philippines to decide on Saudi Aramco's Petron stake
Manila: The Philippines will announce on Monday whether it will buy Saudi Aramco's 40 per cent stake in oil refiner Petron Corp, the Philippine National Oil Co (PNOC) said on Friday. 'We will meet on Monday and announce our decision that day,' PNOC

Philippine Govt keeps options open on ...
The Philippine government is keeping its options open on the possible sale of balance 40% stake in Petron Corp, and plans to consider all offers to acquire the 3.75 bln shares held by state-run Philippine National Oil Co. in Petron. JG Summit Holdings

Four killed in suspected pirate attack in southern Philippines
Manila - Four people, including a three-year-old boy, were killed when pirates attacked a passenger vessel in the southern Philippines, police said Friday. Eight people were wounded in the attack off the coast of Parang town on Jolo island, 1,000

Philippine Govt keeps options open on sale of balance 40% stake in Petron
The Philippine government is keeping its options open on the possible sale of balance 40% stake in Petron Corp, and plans to consider all offers to acquire the 3.75 bln shares held by state-run Philippine National Oil Co. in Petron. JG Summit Holdings

Overseas Filipinos forming political party for 2010
MANILA, Philippines -- Overseas Filipinos are forming a national political party in preparation for the 2010 elections and beyond, it was revealed at the Global Filipino Nation (GFN) conference Friday. Francisco "Jun" Aguilar, interim chairman of the

NorAsian Energy inks contract for offshore Philippine block
Singapore (Platts)--9May2008 The Philippine Department of Energy has awarded NorAsian Energy Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Australia's Otto Energy, a seven-year exploration service contract for area 8 (service contract 69) offshore Philippines,

Mindanao bloggers lead Wordcamp in the Philippines
CEBU, Philippines -- A Davao-based non-profit organization will soon hold a Wordcamp in the Philippines, its lead organizer told INQUIRER.net. A bootcamp for users and developers of Wordpress (a popular open source blogging platform), Wordcamp also hopes

Pope Benedict XVI turns down invitation to visit Philippines
Manila - Pope Benedict XVI has turned down an invitation to visit the Philippines, Asia's largest Catholic country, this year due to a hectic schedule, a senior Church official said Friday.Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops

New Pakistan PM getting Filipino helpers
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan-The Philippine ambassador is very proud of Filipino workers here, and they include the housemaids. While it is easy to admire the professionals that in many foreign companies abroad are usually in highly technical or management

Philippines says to decide on Petron stake on Monday
MANILA, May 9 (Reuters) - The Philippines will announce next week whether it will exercise an option to buy Saudi Aramco's 40 percent stake in oil refiner Petron Corp (PCOR.PS: Quote, Profile, Research), the president of the Philippine National Oil Co

Muslim militants-linked extortion gang says it caused Philippine bus bomb that wounded 5
MIDSAYAP, Philippines: A notorious extortion gang claimed responsibility Friday for detonating a bomb in a passenger van that wounded five people in the southern Philippines, a town mayor said. Manuel Rabara, mayor of Midsayap township in North Cotabato

Philippine shares close higher on bargain-hunting
MANILA (Thomson Financial) - Philippine shares closed higher on Friday on bargain-hunting after investors snapped up recently battered stocks. 'Investors continued their cherry-picking of stocks, but the market had a hard time trekking higher, indicating