Pinoy whiz kid recognized by President Bush

Filipino whiz kid recognized by President Bush

MANILA, Philippines -- He was teased for his small built and brainy demeanor, but when the bespectacled Filipino pulled out his smarts and delivered his quick wits, the jokes turned into admiration.

Bacteria, Fecal Matter in Metro deepwells

Private firm finds bacteria, fecal matter in Metro deepwells

MANILA, Philippines -- From slums to posh villages, residents in the metropolis could be drinking and bathing with water filled with bacteria and fecal matter, which can cause gastrointestinal problems and even skin diseases, if test results from a private testing center are to be believed.

One of the weakest in ASEAN

Philippine Air Force among the weakest in Asean -- PAF

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Air Force has admitted that it is one of the weakest air forces in Southeast Asia but the country’s innate skills in cooperation makes up for its lack of technological and logistical power.

Contact center assoc aims for 500k workers by 2010

Contact center association aims for 500,000 workers by 2010

MANILA, Philippines -- The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) is aiming to grow the industry further to at least 500,000 workers by 2010. Raffy David, CCAP director, said in a phone interview that industry estimates peg the total current industry workforce at around 200,000 workers.

PC bang comes to RP

Korea’s ‘PC bang’ comes to RP

MANILA, Philippines -- A Korean businessman has put up the country’s first true “PC bang” a stylized Internet and online gaming café made popular in South Korea.

PLDT FCA rate adjusted down

PLDT to cut foreign currency adjustment rate by 11%

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is bringing down this month foreign currency adjustment (FCA) rate by 11 percent for local service rates.

Trillanes is set to be proclaimed

(UPDATE 2) Trillanes is 11th senator-elect

MANILA, Philippines -- Detained opposition candidate Antonio Trillanes IV is the 11th senator-elect and is set to be proclaimed Friday, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos said Thursday.

Bishop tells Pope to shun Arroyo invitation

Bishop tells Pope to shun Arroyo invitation to RP

Saying he could end up as yet another excuse for more corrupt deals - or worse, a victim of crime - a senior Catholic bishop urged Pope Benedict XVI not to accept President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's invitation to visit the Philippines.

***I don't agree that a bishop should be saying things like this.  But I do agree with what he said. 

SC marks 106th anniversary

Supreme Court marks 106th anniversary doing good works

MANILA, Philippines -- There will be no balloons or confetti when the Supreme Court marks its 106th anniversary on Monday.

Shot dead

School official who exposed Maguindanao poll fraud shot dead

PIKIT, North Cotabato -- A public school official who exposed alleged poll irregularities in Pagalungan, Maguindanao, was shot dead here on Saturday night.

Obstruction of Justice slapped to Leviste employees

‘Uncooperative’ Leviste employees charged

MANILA, Philippines – Ten employees of former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste are now facing charges of obstruction of justice for failing to appear in the investigation of the murder case against their boss.

MMDA to take billboard case to SC

MMDA to take billboard case to SC

MANILA, Philippines – Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Bayani F. Fernando said they would appeal the Court of Appeals ruling banning the agency from removing billboards on the structures of the Metro Rail Transit System, insisting that the MMDA has the power to take down commercial posters.

Filipino recounts survival in Harvard

Filipino recounts surviving in Harvard on leftover food

MANILA, Philippines -- Before Oscar Franklin Tan drew raves for his commencement address at the elite Harvard Law School the other day, this young Filipino lawyer had his share of silent, awkward moments when basic things like meals became ''an issue.''

Real estate sector growth at 40-year high

Real estate sector growth at all-time high

MANILA, Philippines -- Massive remittances by Filipino overseas workers and the business process outsourcing industry has pushed real estate growth in the Philippines to a 40-year high, the government said Friday.

Foreign direct investments up 18.5%

Foreign direct investments up 18.5% in 2007

MANILA, Philippines -- Foreign direct investments in the Philippines in the first three months of 2007 rose to $710 million, an 18.5 percent increase over the same period last year, the central bank said Friday.

More Filipinos marrying foreigners

More overseas Filipinos are marrying foreigners - CFO

The number of overseas Filipinos bound in inter-marriages in host countries has reached 309,745, latest government data show.

Informants get $10M for neutralization of Abu Sayyaf leaders

Informants get $10M for neutralization of Abu Sayyaf leaders

JOLO, Sulu -- (UPDATE 4) Four Filipinos received a $10-million (P460 million) reward from the United States government for providing information that led to the neutralization of Abu Sayyaf leaders Khadaffy Janjalani and Jainal Antel Sali, alias Abu Solaiman.

A useless study

Filipinas work longer hours than Filipinos -- ILO report

MANILA, Philippines -- All over the world men work longer hours than women except in the Philippines, an International Labor Organization (ILO) report called “Working Time Around the World” said.

***The real score is this.  Most Filipino men are without work.  Most of them work only part time.  That's why they generally work shorter than the women.

Philhealth in danger of extinction by 2016, says Gordon

PhilHealth in danger of extinction by 2016

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Health Insurance is in danger of extinction by 2016 if it does not get new members and if premiums are not increased, Senator Richard Gordon said in a press conference Thursday.

10 senators proclaimed

(UPDATE) 10 senators proclaimed

MANILA, Philippines -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed 10 winners of the senatorial race Wednesday evening after three weeks of vote counting marred by allegations of widespread cheating, with the opposition set to retain its majority in the 24-seat chamber.

***And now it can be told.  12-0 is a myth.

RP is top choice for BPO services among US firms

RP top choice for BPO services among US firms

PASAY CITY, Philippines -- The country is the top choice among a growing number of major American companies for business process outsourcing services in finance, technology, telecommunications, consumer products, and accounting, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.

Elementary pupils in ARMM, Central Mindanao rise by 5%

Elementary pupils in ARMM, Central Mindanao rise by 5%

COTABATO CITY, Philippines -- Education officials in Central Mindanao and in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have confirmed the soaring number of enrollees this school year, but the two regions, just like other areas in the country, lack classrooms, text books and teachers.

I am awake, says Arroyo. Unlike this image.

Arroyo tells Pope she's awake on RP killings

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo assured Pope Benedict XVI that her government is taking measures to solve the problem of political killings in the country, a Malacañang official said on Monday. She gave the Pope an image of the Sto. Nino Dormidoor or the sleeping Sto. Niño made of elephant ivory.

Most devout country

Arroyo meets Pope in private

ROME, Italy -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo met Pope Benedict XVI briefly in the Vatican on Monday, telling the pontiff that the Philippines is not just the only Catholic country in Asia, but the "most devout."

Donate blood, save mothers

DoH: Donate blood, save mothers during child birth

MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Health is putting a compelling face this year to its campaign to get more people to donate blood by highlighting the role this plays in saving mothers who have just given birth.

5.3-quake jolts Naga

5.3-quake jolts Naga City

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake jolted Naga City in Camarines Sur late Sunday afternoon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

NTC can now block text pranksters' SIM cards

NTC can now block text pranksters' SIM cards

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) warned criminals and pranksters who use mobile phones to send text scams it now has equipment to block their subscriber identity module (SIM) cards.

Man on rampage kills 10 in Philippines

Man on rampage kills 10 in Philippines (AP)

AP - A man armed with a 21-inch-long knife killed 10 people, including seven children, and wounded 14 others in a rampage early Saturday in a central Philippine province, police said.

New policy on self-employed

SSS issues new policy on self-employed

The Social Security System (SSS) has liberalized its membership policy allowing employees, who are entrepreneurs or freelance professionals such as lawyers, accountants, and medical professionals, to contribute as self-employed members, a top official said Friday.

SC to govt: Withdraw rebellion case vs 6 partylist solons

SC to gov’t: Withdraw rebellion case vs 6 partylist solons

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) The Supreme Court has ordered the Department of Justice (DoJ) to dismiss the rebellion case against six militant lawmakers and their co-accused for lack of sufficient evidence.  (Inquirer)

De Venecia: It's over

De Venecia: Race for Speakership over

MANILA, Philippines -- Even before the fight for the Speakership at the House of Representatives has begun, incumbent Jose de Venecia has already claimed victory with 190 lawmakers allegedly backing his continued leadership.

10 mothers giving birth die everyday in RP

10 mothers giving birth die everyday in RP

NAGA CITY, Philippines -- An official of the United Nations Population Fund Assistance (UNFPA) pointed to various studies indicating that everyday there are 10 mothers who die while giving birth in the Philippines. (Inquirer)