The Manila Times back issues from January 2007:
2007 PROSPECTS BRIGHT, SAY INDUSTRY GROUPS
Jan 01, 2007; ... THE country's business climate will continue to improve this year starting with a strong pick-up in economic activity in the first quarter, according to the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Employers' Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP). "All indicators ...
AFP CLAIMS IT'S WINNING WAR VS. INSURGENT GROUPS
Jan 01, 2007; ... THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Saturday claimed it is winning the war against communist guerrillas and Islamic extremist groups. The AFP chief, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., bared the military's successes against the New People's Army (NPA), Abu Sayyaf (ASG) and other ...
CURE BEGINS ROLLOUT OF 3G NETWORK
Jan 01, 2007; ... CONNECTIVITY Unlimited Resources Inc. (CURE), a company controlled by former trade minister Roberto Ongpin, said it has begun rolling out its third-generation (3G) network in key areas in Metro Manila.In a letter to Abraham Abesamis, chief of the National Telecommunications Commission ...
EVEN ON MEAN STREETS, FILIPINOS STILL MUSTER HOPE
Jan 01, 2007; ... Two nights before the turning of 2006, The Manila Times strayed around the metropolis to see what hopes lurk in our brethren's hearts. Here are a handful of dreams from Metro Manila's mean streets. It is 9 p.m. and the sounds of music and merry-making drift on E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue in ...
SMITH MESS STARTS ROCKY YEAR FOR GMA
Jan 01, 2007; ... Militant organizations, opposition groups and supporters of a 23-year-old rape victim vowed Sunday to stage sustained rallies after the New Year holidays to protest the Friday night transfer of jailed convict Lance Corporal Daniel Smith to the US Embassy. The snowballing anger over the ...
TRIUMPHS, BICKERING IN 2006
Jan 01, 2007; ... THERE'S no doubt that Philippine sports made some strides in 2006 despite of meager financial support from the government and private sectors and habitual cases of mismanagement of some national sports associations. After winning the overall title of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games, ...
VALERA, ESCORTS SPEND NEW YEAR IN CRAME
Jan 01, 2007; ... Gov. Vicente Valera of Abra and three of his security escorts celebrated New Year inside a maximum detention facility in Camp Crame after they were charged with possession of illegal firearms. Valera and his three security escorts, Oscar Abella, Pedro Castillo and Leo Bello were ...
VICE-MAYOR, TWO OTHERS GUNNED DOWN IN FIESTA
Jan 01, 2007; ... MOTORCYCLE-RIDING assassins shot dead the vice-mayor of a town in Capiz along with a barangay captain and his security aide, while another person was injured in a town fiesta Saturday evening.Vice-Mayor Victor Gardose of Tapaz, 39, died from a single bullet wound in the forehead while ...
POSTMERGER EPCIB TO KEEP CONSUMER UNIT
Jan 01, 2007; ... EQUITABLE-PCI Bank (EPCIB) plans to keep its consumer business even after it merges with Banco de Oro Universal Bank (BDO). Tessie Sy-Coson, EPCIB vice-chairman, said the lender would continue its credit-card business and keep its focus on the overseas Filipino workers' (OFWs) market ....
PUNZALAN SWEEPS 5 GOLDS
Jan 01, 2007 ... At the recently concluded MILO 2006 Bea Lucero Gymnastics Cup, 9-year-old Kristel Mariel Punzalan of the Gymnastics Center of the Philippines took all the gold medals in the 8-9 years old Level 1 women's artistic gymnastics category.With a total score of 35.20, Kristel won all 5 gold ...
ROSALES APPEALS FOR MORE 'SACRIFICE'
Jan 01, 2007 ... Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales on Sunday appealed for more discipline and sacrifice from Filipinos. In his New Year's message, Rosales said that these two traits are the keys to national progress. "National progress is not a matter of debate, competition or fame ...
SHARES TO CONTINUE RISING IN NEW YEAR
Jan 01, 2007; ... PHILIPPINE share prices are expected to continue rising this week and into the new year, thanks to the country's improving economic prospects, analysts said last Friday. The market ended last year up 42.3 percent from its close in 2005. The only major concern in 2007 is the ...
JBC BARES NOMINEES FOR HIGH COURT VACANCY
Jan 01, 2007; ... Six senior Court of Appeals Justices, three Sandiganbayan justices, two chief government lawyers will vie for the lone vacant associate justice post in the Supreme Court vacated by Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban. The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) over the weekend released the names ...
MANY PINOYS STILL GO HUNGRY
Jan 01, 2007 ... The Philippine economy made some impressive gains in 2006, culminating in the early repayment of debt but the benefits have yet to trickle down to ordinary people, many of whom still go hungry.Analysts say that much of what has been achieved has been done for the benefit of ...
NET LENDING TO STATE COMPANIES CLIMB
Jan 01, 2007; ... LOANS extended by the national government to state-owned corporations in the first 11 months of last year increased. Net lending to government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) reached P12.130 billion, growing by more than three times compared with P3.624 billion in ...
NO HOLIDAY BREAK FOR GIANTS, REALTORS
Jan 01, 2007 ... BOTH camps admitted they have only themselves to blame in the aftermath of their disappointing finish in the classification round of the Talk 'N Text-PBA Philippine Cup. So whether they liked it or not they had to spend holidays with their teammates on the gym. Short trips to ...
ALVAREZ HAILS SC DECISION ON PICOP
Jan 01, 2007 ... The recent Supreme Court (SC) decision against the country's largest logging concession is a triumph for environmentalists and a timely act that could prevent disasters in a big swathe of Mindanao, a former environment secretary said Sunday. Heherson T. Alvarez also said the high ...
FIRECRACKERS CAUSE BLAZE AHEAD OF NEW YEAR
Jan 01, 2007; ... CABANATUAN CITY: A fire caused by firecrackers razed at least P8-million worth of properties in the Caba-natuan City Public Market Saturday night. Senior Insp. Cesar Balane, Cabanatuan City fire marshal, said that besides the market structures and contents, four tricycles and an ...
UP FRIENDS RAISE FUNDS FOR ACTIVIST IN COMA
Jan 01, 2007 ... FRIENDS and colleagues have started a fund campaign for University of the Philippines creative writing Prof. Monico Atienza, who is now fighting for his life at the UP-Philippine General Hospital after he collapsed and went comatose on December 23. He is "critically stable" and but is only kept ...
PNP YEAR-ENDER DOC 'AMOK' STUNS CAMP CRAME
Jan 01, 2007; ... (The first part of the year-end report on the Philippine National Police tackled the failed February coup; the hunt for and eventual capture of former senator Gregorio Honasan and a slew of rogue military officers; the rise in the killings of activists, journalists, judges and politicians; the ...
REGIONS FUEL RP WAR VS. POVERTY
Jan 01, 2007; ... THIS was a banner year for government's poverty alleviation bid as President Arroyo commenced Phase 2 of her development agenda by restructuring the Philippine economy into five major sub economies dubbed as super-regions.The Arroyo administration conceived this strategy to pool ...
GSIS TO SHED CONTROL OVER THRIFT SUBSIDIARY
Jan 01, 2007; ... STATE-RUN Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has announced that it is selling its stake in its subsidiary, GSIS Family Bank. The pension fund said prospective investors may submit bids starting January 12 for the 20,150,006 common shares and the 5,048,758 preferred shares-which ...
NEDA APPROVES PROJECT LINKING NORTH, SOUTH RAILS
Jan 01, 2007; ... THE National Economic and Development Authority's Cabinet Committee (NEDA Cabcom) has approved a multibillion-peso project linking the country's northbound and southbound rail systems.Documents obtained by The Manila Times showed that the NEDA Cabcom approved the P4.5-billion ...
ABALOS GIVES UP ON AUTOMATED MAY POLLS
Jan 03, 2007; ... COMPUTERIZING the coming election, even if partially, is no longer possible, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). "It is the consensus of the Comelec National Advisory Council," Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. said Tuesday. "The possible suppliers, vendors and manufacturers ...
CUSTOMS MEETS COLLECTION TARGET
Jan 03, 2007; ... THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) already met its full-year collection target despite falling short last April, September and November. The agency said collections have reached the P197-billion goal, including the P4-billion value-added tax (VAT) payment by Petron Corp. The bureau said it may ...
'BURI' MAT SHORT OF 4 KM, STILL SETS A WORLD RECORD
Jan 02, 2007; ... SAN JUAN, Ilocos Sur: Though the people here failed to weave a four-kilometer sleeping mat as they promised, they are still confident they have already installed a new world record to be etched in the Guinness Book of World Records by coming up with a 2.4- kilometer long by more than one ...
'CONSTITUTIONAL COMPLIANCE' SAYS GOVT OF SMITH MOVE
Jan 02, 2007; ... "SMITH'S transfer is not a constitutional violation, it's a constitutional compliance." This was the defense made by the chief government lawyer after the surreptitious transfer of Smith from the Makati City Jail to the US Embassy without any court order. In a telephone ...
BEWARE OF ILLEGAL RECRUITERS IN CYBERSPACE, DOLE WARNS
Jan 02, 2007; ... WITH the bright prospect of another 10-percent to 12-percent increase in overseas deployment this year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Monday warned against illegal recruiters that include foreign and cyberspace-based firms. "I advise all overseas job applicants to ...
BOI EXCEEDS TARGET FOR APPROVED PROJECTS
Jan 02, 2007; ... The Board of Investments (BOI), the government's incentive-giving arm, posted 16 percent increase in approved investments exceeding its 10-percent target for 2006. Trade Undersecretary Elmer C. Hernandez, who is also BOI managing head, reported that the BOI recorded P190.66 billion ...
RAIDS, ARRESTS SLASH RP SUPPLY OF ILLEGAL DRUGS
Jan 02, 2007 ... In August 2006, a raid on a drug lab in Aurora led to the arrest of four foreign chemists. Chinese nationals Sy Tho, Wang Twa Ti, Chi Na Chua a.k.a. "Joey Chua," and Chien Chien were arrested and charged with the manufacturing of shabu. This was the first raid that resulted in the ...
TICKET PRICES TO REFLECT NEW AIRPORT SECURITY FEE
Jan 02, 2007; ... The government expects to collect P1 billion annually from a security fee required of all incoming and outgoing travelers. Domestic and international travel will be affected by the $2.50 fee, according to retired general Angel Atutubo, assistant general manager for security of the ...
NICOLE TO SUE RP GOVERNMENT EXECS
Jan 02, 2007 ... A lawyer for the Filipina raped by a US Marine on Monday accused the Philippine government of committing a "criminal act" by agreeing to transfer the soldier to US custody pending his appeal.The victim, identified only as Nicole to protect her privacy, has been devastated by the ...
STRONG BOP SURPLUS WILL BOOST PESO IN 2007
Jan 02, 2007; ... "There will be a surplus so it will tend to support peso," Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Aman-do M. Tetangco Jr. has announced. Tetangco said earlier that the balance of payment could hit $1.6 billion in 2007, which is significantly lower than the $2.8-billion surplus projected ...
PHILIPPINES WILL NOT BORROW AGAIN FROM IMF, BSP AFFIRMS
Jan 02, 2007; ... With its strong balance of payments surplus, the Philippines will no longer seek financial help from the International Monetary Fund, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas affirmed. "Only those with difficulty accessing commercial fund have to go to IMF . . . We do not expect that kind of ...
TOYOTA EXPECTS 2006 TO POST BIGGER SALES
Jan 02, 2007; ... Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. expects much bigger sales this year than in 2005, seeing that improved market conditions and the introduction of a new Vios, Toyota's volume model, have boosted its business. According to Toyota's latest data, sales in 2006 already breached its 38,000 unit ...
CHINESE POACHERS JAILED IN PUERTO
Jan 02, 2007; ... Rangers of a world-renowned marine park won a victory on Monday when 30 Chinese fishermen apprehended in for poaching protected fish species were brought to the provincial jail in Puerto Princesa. Angelique Songco of the Tubbataha Park Management Office, a government agency handling the ...
MANILA CLEANS UP REVELRY GARBAGE
Jan 02, 2007; ... AFTER the revelry of New Year's Eve, the city government of Manila immediately laun-ched clean-up operations. As early as 7 a.m. on Monday, Mayor Lito Atienza of Manila, accompanied by his son and committee chairman of inner-city development, Ali, toured the city directing the clean-up ...
CRACKDOWN JACKS UP SHABU PRICE
Jan 02, 2007; ... The street value of shabu has increased from around P5,000 to around P18,000 to P20,000, the National Bureau of Investigation said on Monday. "This is due to the fact that, according to the law of supply and demand, if the demand is there but the supply is limited, the price rises," ...
PARISH COUNCIL LEADS BOYCOTT
Jan 02, 2007; ... GUIMARAS: The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) of St. Vincent Ferrer in Nueva Valencia calls to boycott the products of Petron Corp. to give "justice" to the victims of the oil spill that wreaked havoc to the livelihood of residents here. On Thursday, a people's manifesto was launched at ...
FIRECRACKER EXPLOSION DELAYS ESTRADA VISIT
Jan 02, 2007; ... THE New Year's reunion of former President Joseph Estrada and Mary Ejercito was delayed on Monday following a firecracker explosion that damaged a power transformer near Kennedy Street in Greenhills. It resulted to a 45-minute delay in the New Year's furlough of Estrada as the ...
PSE POSTS RECORD STOCK OFFERING, FOREIGN BUYING
Jan 02, 2007; ... NET foreign buying in the Philippine Stock Exchange almost tripled in the year 2006 compared with the net foreign buying in 2005, while its stock offering proceeds for 2006 grew by double digits compared with the total capital it raised in the previous year. Citing preliminary figures, ...
INCOME TAX STRUCTURE IN RP LEAST PROGRESSIVE
Jan 02, 2007; ... It does not follow that the rich in the Philippines pay higher income taxes than the poor citizens, according to a study conducted by the National Tax Research Center.The study revealed that the country, which comes second to Malaysia, has the lowest measure of progressivity in terms ...
NAVY RESCUE 50 FISHERS IN TAWI-TAWI
Jan 02, 2007; ... FIFTY fishermen briefly held hostage by pirates were safely rescued by government troops off the coast of Tawi-Tawi on New Year's Eve, military reports said Monday.The Navy spokesman, Cmdr. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, said the fishermen had been held hostage for 11 hours when Navy men ...
DONG PUNO TO CONTEST BIAZON'S MUNTI SEAT
Jan 02, 2007; ... AFTER losing in the senatorial election in 2001, broadcaster Ricardo "Dong" Puno will again try politics in 2007, this time challenging incumbent Rep. Ruffy Biazon in Muntinlupa City. Puno, brother of Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, will be running in the administration ticket together ...
FUN AND FANTASY REIGN AT THE 2006 MMFF
Jan 02, 2007; ... A disgruntled film producer, a top-grossing fantasy film, some questionable awards and impressive production numbers are the highlights of the 32nd Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) awarding ceremonies, held on Friday at the Aliw Theater, CCP Complex in Pasay City with a delayed telecast on RPN ...
2007 STARTS WITH NEW POLITICAL KILLING
Jan 02, 2007; ... A lone gunman aboard a motorcycle shot dead the provincial chairman of Bayan Muna in Albay on New Year's Eve, the latest of a spate of political murders in the Philippines. Rodolfo "Ompong" Alvarado, 53, was driving his Toyota car on the way home about 5 p.m. when the gunman flagged him ...
BSP DEFERS DECISION ON BANKS' FOREX TRADING POSITIONS
Jan 02, 2007; ... The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas failed to approve revisions in its policy on over-bought and oversold positions of banks before the end of 2006 as planned. BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. explained it was not discussed in the Monetary Board meeting. BSP plans to limit the ...
NEW YEAR REVELRY INJURES 900
Jan 02, 2007; ... Firecrackers and stray bullets injured more than 900 people in the countdown to the New Year, the Department of Health said Monday. The figure of 907 is 48 percent higher than the previous year, Health Secretary Franciso Duque III told reporters. "This is an unfortunate ...
THE BIG YEAR-END EVENT THAT GOT AWAY IN CEBU IN 2006
Jan 02, 2007; ... CEBU CITY: Cebu's biggest event in 2006 did not happen. Bar none, it could still be Cebu's biggest event in 2007.It's the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit, which has become the proverbial fisherman's tale of "the big one that got away."The Asean ...
PEOPLE TURN UP FOR 'JESUS APPARITION'
Jan 02, 2007; ... SAN ENRIQUE: Thousands of people from all walks of life swarmed this small town 32 kilometers south of Bacolod since Tuesday morning to get first-hand experience of the reported "Jesus apparition." The image is said to have appeared on the branch of an 11-year-old acacia tree just ...
LAGUNA 'QUACK' FACES SUIT FOR MALIGNING CAPICEÑO
Jan 02, 2007; ... ROXAS City: Mario Artates of Barangay Libas here is considering the possibility of filing charges against a quack doctor from San Pablo, Laguna, for allegedly maligning him as the mang-kukulam (sorcerer) to an 18-year-old house-helper who became blind.After hearing his name over the ...
CHARGES VS. ALONTO UPHELD BY CA
Jan 02, 2007; ... THE Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the conviction of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) official Tahir Alonto and several others for kidnapping for ransom, rape, murder, robbery and illegal possession of firearms and explosives. The CA issued its decision on November 30, 2006, but ...
COPS: ABRA GOV'S VEHICLE UNREGISTERED
Jan 02, 2007 ... POLICE said on Monday that the vehicle of Gov. Vicente Valera of Abra, who has been linked by a suspect to the murder of Rep. Luis Bersamin Jr. of Abra, was imported two years ago and yet remains unregistered. Chief Supt. Errol Pan, director of the Traffic Management Group (TMG), told ...
FINANCE INCREASES RVAT COLLECTION TARGET THIS YEAR
Jan 02, 2007; ... As the revenue-generating agencies are tasked to raise P1.118 trillion for 2007, the Department of Finance has also increased the target collection for the Reformed Value-Added Tax (RVAT).The RVAT goal for this year has been raised by 19.23 percent to P89.42 billion from the 2006 ...
ENERGY, INFRA PROJECTS TO FUEL 2007 INVESTMENTS GROWTH
Jan 03, 2007; ... THE Board of Investments expects a 10-percent growth in registered investments this year with several big-ticket projects in the pipeline. "Investments this year should be up 10 percent year-on-year at the very least because of several projects in the pipeline that include investments ...
BALIKATAN ON AGAIN WITH MALACAÑANG CAVE IN
Jan 03, 2007; ... The Balikatan military exercises, which were canceled last month, are now back on schedule, the US Embassy and Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday. The decision to resume the joint exercises comes after a US Marine Daniel Smith, convicted of raping a Filipina, was moved from the Makati ...
FIL-AM WINS YAHOO WEB TALENT TILT
Jan 03, 2007; ... Rex Hermogino, a California-based Filipino won the first Yahoo! Talent Show last month. Hermogino impressed talent show judges Tom Green, Maria Sansone and The Ninja from Ask a ninja.com and also hoisted 40 percent of the votes of online viewers with his singing, songwriting and ...
HEADS OF STATES CONFIRM ATTENDANCE AT SUMMIT
Jan 03, 2007; ... CEBU City: The National Organizing Committee (NOC) of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit, originally set this month, will finally proceed here, on January 10 to 15, with all member-countries and dialogue partners confirming their attendance.Foreign ...
GMA OPENS P2B NEW C. LUZON HIGHWAY
Jan 03, 2007; ... BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya: President Arroyo formally opened on Tuesday the Nueva Vizcaya section of the P2-billion 107 km Nueva Vizcaya-Benguet Road during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at barangay Pingkian in Kayapa town here.Breaking away from the traditional ribbon-cutting, the ...
LOCAL CURRENCY BREACHES 48-TO-A-DOLLAR LEVEL PESO OPENS YEAR AT NEW HIGH
Jan 03, 2007; ... THE peso breached the 48 to the dollar level on the first day of trading in 2007 on strong inflows of overseas Filipino worker remittances and investments in the local stock market. At the Philippine Dealing System, the local currency on Tuesday closed at 48.915 against greenback, much ...
NICOLE FILES CONTEMPT CHARGE VS. GOVT EXECS
Jan 03, 2007; ... The lawyer of Subic rape victim Nicole on Tuesday asked the Court of Appeals to issue an arrest warrant for Lance Corporal Daniel Smith and cite for contempt government officials responsible for his transfer from the Makati City Jail to the US Embassy. Evalyn Ursua, who presidential ...
MMDA STARTS SIDEWALK CLEARING DRIVE IN PASAY
Jan 03, 2007 ... NOW that the Holiday season is almost over the Metro Manila Development Authority has started warning to illegal vendors to clear the sidewalks if they don't want their goods to be confiscated. On Tuesday members of the MMDA Sidewalk Clearing Operations' Group cleared the sidewalks of ...
POST-QUAKE CALL CENTER DISRUPTION UNEVEN
Jan 03, 2007; ... OPERATIONAL disruption of local call centers was uneven after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan last week, cutting the capacity of Philippine telecom companies that serve business process outsourcing (BPO) firms, according to industry groups. The Contact Center Association of the ...
VETERANS BANK EYES GROWTH THIS YEAR
Jan 03, 2007; ... PHILIPPINE Veterans Bank (PVB) expects to surpass last year's net income target driven by strong interest income from loans, securities trading gains and fee-based services. In a statement, PVB said that there is a 15-percent improvement in 2006 from P353.3 million of 2005, exceeding ...
SENATE, HOUSE CHART LEGISLATIVE DIRECTION
Jan 03, 2007; ... For this year the Senate will focus on bills that matter most to the people, while the House of Representatives will concentrate on the legislated salary increase for government workers and putting a closure to the discussions on Charter change. Senate President Manny Villar said in a ...