News Archives & Current Events

The Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) has denied the motion for reconsideration of a lawyers group which sought for the reversal of a court's earlier ruling that rejected a petition to stop Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Chevron Philippines Inc. (formerly Caltex Philippines Inc.), and Petron Corp. from raising pump prices weekly.

Technological innovation is the key to the competitiveness of the Philippines, Sen. Edgardo J. Angara, chairman of the Congressional Commission on Science & Technology and Engineering (COMSTE), said Wednesday.

Angara, a former University of the Philippines (UP) president, stressed this after noting that the country’s lack of technological capacity is one major reason why the Philippines is slipping so rapidly in the competitiveness index.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) announced Wednesday that another batch of overseas Filipino workers from Jeddah, bringing to 517 the total number of OFWs repatriated from that country since January.

OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon said that at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, 84 OFWs and 30 children were repatriated from the Hajj Terminal in Jeddah arrived to the country on board GF156.

JAKARTA — Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan has asked media entities from the region, as well as those from East Asia, to help out the regional bloc achieve an ASEAN Community by 2015, as he thanked them for their contributions to the region’s political, economic, social, and cultural growth.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pledged Wednesday a smooth transition of power to the next administration so it could hit the ground running, saying she would leave the nation in a better shape after nine years in power.

But the President urged her successor to sustain her pro-poor programs as she admitted the economic gains achieved by her government have failed to reach the poor due to the global recession.

A Catholic prelate said the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) remains a non-partisan group, despite the declaration of support by some of its members for a presidential candidate in the May 2010 elections.

“We do not stop our members from supporting any candidate. It is a personal decision and choice. However, a bishop’s decision to support a candidate does not necessarily mean it is the position of the group,” said Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz, archbishop emeritus (for life) of Lingayen-Dagupan cities in Pangasinan.

Manny Pacquiao (center) of the Philippines seemingly enjoys a playful punch from Dallas Cowboys Michael Irvin (right) as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones watches during a workout in Grapevine, Texas, Tuesday. (REUTERS)

DALLAS, Texas — Joshua Clottey is going to send Manny Pacquiao straight to the hospital on Saturday night (Sunday Manila time).

This was the belief of Kwaku Gyanfi, who is part of Clottey’s entourage of four men, when Filipino scribes bumped into him at the lobby of the Gaylord Texan Resort and Casino here late Tuesday night.