The Manila Times back issues from December 2007:
2 dead, 17 soldiers wounded in Surigao del Sur encounter
Dec 02, 2007 ... Communist guerillas laid out land mines and engaged a military patrol in a fierce gunbattle in the moutains of Surigao del Sur, then fled after a government soldier and a rebel militiaman were slain, while at least 17 others were wounded, it was learned on Saturday. In a report of the ...
Airlines, tourism will still soar
Dec 02, 2007; ... THE domestic air travel industry will soar despite skyrocketing jet fuel prices as airline companies take measures to become more efficient. Avelino Zapanta, president of Southeast Asian Airlines (Seair), said high oil prices will not set back the country's booming air travel ...
Alternative fuels to the rescue
Dec 02, 2007; ... With world oil prices shooting up unceasingly, Philippine use of cheaper alternative fuels should be going north. Or so it should. Unfortunately, the development of alternative fuels in the country has not been fast enough to come to the rescue of the hapless motorist. Back in ...
Baguio's temperature dips; farmers warned
Dec 02, 2007 ... BAGUIO CITY: The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on Saturday recorded a temperature of 10.8 degrees Celsius about 5:40 a.m. Pagasa Baguio weather forecaster Wilson Locando said this signals the start of a period when temperature can ...
Barangay, SK leaders can act on garbage issue
Dec 02, 2007 ... The EcoWaste Coalition, an active environmental network, called for greater grassroots leadership and action on waste and pollution on the part of newly elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials who officially started their terms on November 30. "We appeal to all duly ...
Bing Pimentel goes back to school
Dec 02, 2007; ... Not looking a bit like 46 years old, Pimentel blends in very well with her classmates at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, most of whom can be her sons and daughters. She is bent on finishing her Visual Communications course, 25 years after she stopped school in lieu of love and ...
GMA appoints Ilocos Sur governor as Region I RDC chairman
Dec 02, 2007 ... VIGAN CITY: President Gloria Arroyo has appointed Gov. Deogracias Victor "DV" B. Savellano as the new chairman of the Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Ilocos region. Savellano, a returning governor of Ilocos Sur, is known for his programs and achievements in the field of ...
Cordillera police has additional personnel
Dec 02, 2007; ... CAMP DANGWA, Benguet: The reported shortage of policemen in the Cordilleras has slowly been addressed with the addition into the Cordillera police regional command of 113 new recruits on Saturday. The addition of 113 police officers has bolstered the police visibility campaign of the ...
LPG prices increase, again
Dec 02, 2007 ... Giant petroleum companies raised the prices of their liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) products again on Saturday. On November 17, several petroleum companies increased their LPG prices by P1 a kilogram. Petron Corp., Shell Philippines and Total Philippines made separate ...
Gymnast Saguisag eyes better performance in Thailand
Dec 02, 2007; ... KRISTINE RAISSA SAGUISAG, still mourning the loss of mother Dulce Saguisag, vowed to do her best in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.The 16-year-old Saguisag will be competing in the women's artistic events pole, vault and beam. "All I can say is that I will ...
Manila Cathedral kicks off 2nd Pipe Organ Festival
Dec 02, 2007; ... Today marks the first day of the Second Manila Cathedral Basilica Pipe Organ Festival, with performances also lined up on December 5, 6, 8, 7 and 10. "We have lined up numerous artists to perform during the festival," said Msgr. Nestor C. Cerbo, parish priest of the Manila Cathedral, ...
No double standards on Trillanes case-Miriam
Dec 02, 2007; ... Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said Saturday that the Senate would be having double standards should it refuse to investigate Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th for his alleged "disorderly behavior and unparliamentary acts and language" during the Makati standoff which Trillanes led. She made ...
Rebellion charges set against Trillanes, mutineers: Forty-nine others to be charged include Guingona, Nemenzo while P1M is offered for Faeldon's arrest
Dec 02, 2007; ... REBELLION charges are now being readied against Senator Antonio Trillanes 4th for leading a tense standoff at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City on Thursday. Besides Trillanes, former Vice-President Teofisto Guingona, Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and 47 other individuals who took ...
Rivera's SEAG stint possible
Dec 02, 2007; ... REIGNING World Masters bowling champion Biboy Rivera will confirm on Tuesday whether he will see action in the Southeast Asian Games.Rivera, a veteran of the 2003 and 2005 SEAG, decided to undergo therapy for his injured left knee patella instead of having it operated on....
RP muay fighters seek to defend SEAG title
Dec 02, 2007; ... THE Filipino muay thai fighters hope to duplicate their three-gold and three-silver performance in the 2005 Manila Games when they compete in the biennial meet this month in Thailand.With Rolando Claro and Ruben Sumido still in the team, the Filipinos are confident of keeping the ...
Extremely expensive oil in 2008 will cause: Slower growth, higher prices
Dec 02, 2007; ... Historically, very high oil prices have not yet caused too much harm to the Philippine economy-from the macroeconomic perspective. This is thanks to the strength of the Philippine peso, caused by unceasingly increasing remittances from OFWs and the current weakness ofthe US ...
Poor Pinoy families will suffer most
Dec 02, 2007; ... Linda Palison, a mother of five, told this reporter she now rarely uses her washing machine so she can save on electricity and does the laundry by hand. And they now ration their TV-watching time and also ironing and cooking times. The Palisons are one of the working class and poor ...
San Sebastian college shoots for Shakey's V-League title vs. UST
Dec 02, 2007; ... NCAA champion San Sebastian College shoots for the Shakey's V-League crown against University of Santo Tomas Sunday at The Arena in San Juan. The Lady Stags, runners-up in the last two conferences, banked on the brilliant performance of Laurence Ann Latigay to conquer the Tigresses, ...
Soldiers hunt down militants in Sulu; 5 soldiers killed
Dec 02, 2007; ... ZAMBOANGA CITY: Philippine troops on Saturday mounted fresh operations to flush out suspected Jemaah Islamiah (JI) militants and rebels blamed for the killing of five Marines in the southern province of Sulu. Four gunmen were killed in Friday's fighting that left at least eight soldiers ...
Spyder cycling race final leg set Sunday
Dec 02, 2007 ... EXECUTIVES from the country's top corporations are seeing action in the final leg of the Spyder XRC 2007 Executive Road Cycling Race Series Sunday at the Subic Bay Freeport. Competition is expected to heat up further as accumulated points from all the previous 4 races will be tallied ...
Thieves rob pawnshop of P2M in jewelry
Dec 02, 2007; ... Robbers must be enjoying a heyday after robbing Ochoa Pawnshop of some P2 million worth of jewelries on Friday morning. Police reports said that the pawnshop, located at Barangay Zapote 1, Bacoor, Cavite was looted by members of the Acetylene Gang operating in Cavite and nearby ...
Top communist rebel leader is arrested in Quezon City
Dec 02, 2007; ... A TOP female communist rebel leader was captured by combined army and police operatives in a mall in Quezon City on Wednesday. The arrest was quickly condemned by left-wing militant groups. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said the suspect, Elizabeth Principe, alias "Saling" was ...
Manufacturing and export industries soldier on
Dec 02, 2007; ... Despite the soaring price of oil, executives of the electronics industry, which accounts for 60 percent and more of the total export revenue of the country for years, said their performance will not suffer relative to competitors in the region because the playing is rather level and ...
2 fires hit Manila despite cold weather
Dec 03, 2007; ... Despite having the coldest temperature in the Metropolitan region this weekend, two fire incidents hit Manila City within 16 hours. At least 10 homes were destroyed yesterday morning in Tondo while 16 families living in a shanty area under a bridge were left homeless Saturday evening in ...
21 civilians in hotel standoff to file plea to have their cases dismissed
Dec 03, 2007; ... The 21 civilians who were arrested inside the Makati Peninsula hotel after the Makati standoff last week will file petitions to dismiss their case, or for writs of habeas corpus and amparo, if charges are filed against them. Thirty soldiers were also nabbed there. Neri Colmenares, a ...
Aboitiz joint venture bags tax perks
Dec 03, 2007; ... THE joint venture of Aboitiz Power Corp. and a Taiwanese energy firm at the Subic Bay Industrial Park has secured tax and other perks from the Board of Investments for the a new generation facility that would help avert a looming electricity shortage in five years. The Redondo Peninsula ...
Alternative fuels to the rescue
Dec 03, 2007; ... Under the Biofuels Act of 2006, which came into force in May, diesel sold at the pumps are required to be blended with 1 percent biodiesel, which will be increased to 2 percent in 2009. Gasoline, on the other hand, is required to have a mix of 5 percent bioethanol in 2009, which will be hiked to ...
As Japan aid declines: Chinese loans to RP rising
Dec 03, 2007; ... CHINA may soon displace Japan as the Philippines' top foreign donor, as Beijing is flexing its financial muscle with official development assistance (ODA) to Manila growing faster since the two began bilateral cooperation five years ago. Documents from the National Economic and ...
Baguio, Benguet to experience more intense frosting early next year, says Pagasa
Dec 03, 2007 ... BAGUIO CITY: The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) office here has predicted more intense frosting early next year in Baguio and Benguet province, said a report by the Philippine News Agency. Weather forecaster Salvador Olinares said in ...
Zero tariff on diesel products
Dec 03, 2007; ... In a move to cushion the negative impact of the oil price increase in the world market, the government has decided to bring down the tariff on some petroleum products. During the Cabinet-level Committee on Tariff and Related Matters (CTRM) meeting held recently, the committee agreed ...
Senators question Neri, Ricafort stay in CHED
Dec 03, 2007 ... SENATORS are questioning the qualifications of Chairman Romulo Neri and Commissioner Nona Ricafort to continuously run and be part of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as the two executives allegedly lack the necessary prerequisites that would make them eligible for their posts. ...
Sexually transmitted infections on the rise
Dec 03, 2007 ... DUMAGUETE CITY: The reported number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Dumaguete City has increased based on a report of the City Social Hygiene Clinic, said the Philippine News Agency. City Health Officer Dr. Ma. Sarah Talla said sexually transmitted infections in the city ...
Spanish firm to invest in jatropha plantation
Dec 03, 2007; ... MADRID-BASED Bionor Transfor-macion S.A. plans to invest in a jatropha plantation in the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture said. In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap said the company is setting aside $200 million to plant 100,000 hectares of land to the feedstock ...
Splash expands to US
Dec 03, 2007 ... SPLASH Corp. announced that it would start distributing its products in the United States, targeting not only Filipinos but also Hispanics and other Asians. In a statement, the listed personal care products-maker said it signed a memorandum of agreement with Mandalay Trading Corp. as ...
The EGG-ceptional art of Danny Rayos del Sol
Dec 03, 2007; ... LOOKING back at the history of art, it is not an unusual occurrence for business individuals to crossover and become very good at it. Paul Gauguin was a stockbroker before he pursued art full-time while Henri Rousseau's earlier occupations showed that he was a customs official and a tax ...
Unseeded Ilyushin pockets first ITF Junior title
Dec 03, 2007; ... RUSSIAN Artem Ilyushin almost failed to join the Phinma-ITF Junior Circuit. Good thing he was given a wild card in the qualifying round. On Sunday, the 16-year-old native of Vladivostok pulled off a stunning 6-4, 6-3 upset win over second seed Filipino Francis Casey Alcantara in the ...
Phivolcs warns of aftershocks after quake
Dec 03, 2007 ... State seismologists warned residents of Cagayan province Sunday afternoon of possible aftershocks after a magnitude-4.7 quake hit the area early Sunday morning. In a report posted at the news website of GMA News, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the ...
QC govt targets becoming tourism hub
Dec 03, 2007; ... "IF we have medical tourism, we can also have sports tourism." Thus spoke Quezon City Majority Floor Leader Ariel Inton, who is currently pushing his pet program of making the city as the center of sports tourism in the country. Inton said it is only fitting that sports tourism ...
Pit bull fight raided: Police nab 69 alleged bettors at Manrose Farm
Dec 03, 2007; ... TANAY, Rizal: Members of the Philippine National Police-Regional Special Operations Group arrested some 69 alleged bettors in an illegal dogfight arena here on Saturday. Chief Insp. Jess Cabigting, PNP-RSOG, told media about the said raid on the arena, locally known as Manrose Farm, in ...
Santos lifts Express over Dragons
Dec 03, 2007; ... ANTIPOLO CITY: Arwind Santos fired a game-high 29 points to key Air 21's 88-80 triumph over Welcoat in the 2007 Smart-PBA Philippine Cup Sunday at the Ynares Sports Center here.The Express, who trailed most of the way, needed a big defensive job from Ranidel de Ocampo, Wynne Arboleda ...
Senate vows to restore judiciary budget
Dec 03, 2007; ... Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. will support the judiciary's appeal to restore the P4-billion cut by the House of Representatives from the proposed P14.4-billion budget of the judicial branch for next year. He said the judiciary deserves additional funding to fulfill its ...
Senate asked to address country's illegitimate debts
Dec 03, 2007 ... A group of public finance watchdogs, the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), expresses serious disappointment over the decision of Senate Committee on Finance Chairman Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile to restore P12.1 billion worth of repayments for questionable loans. Enrile has also decided to ...
Local govts can tax contractors of govt projects
Dec 03, 2007; ... LOCAL government units (LGUs) can levy taxes on contractors undertaking government infrastructure projects, said Quezon City Treasurer Victor B. Endriga. Endriga made these remarks in connection with the recent move of Dir. Gen. Augusto Santos' of the National Economic Development ...
LTFRB warns against abusive taxi drivers during Christmas season
Dec 03, 2007; ... WITH the yuletide season just a few days away, the Department of Transportation and Communications has reactivated its program "Oplan Isnabero" to protect commuters against erring and abusive drivers of taxis and other public utility vehicles. According to DOTC spokesman and Land ...
Makati standoff won't affect tourism
Dec 03, 2007 ... The standoff at the Manila Peninsula staged by Sen. Antonio Trillanes and his supporters will not in any way hamper the tourism promotions of the Philippine government. Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano issued the advisory Sunday following the peaceful resolution of the standoff at ...
Multimillion flyover for Bacolod shelved
Dec 03, 2007 ... BACOLOD City: Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Monico Puentevella confirmed the supposed construction of a multimillion flyover project for Bacolod City was temporarily stalled by the office of the Department of Works and Highways (DPWH). Puentevella said the project which will be ...
Peninsula siege costs government peace talks
Dec 03, 2007; ... Even if unsuccessful, last Thursday's uprising against the government of President Gloria Arroyo still caused postponement of peace talks between the government and Muslim rebels. The failed revolt was led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th, a former Navy lieutenant, and Army Brig. General Danilo ...
Oldest media organization files raps vs. PNP
Dec 03, 2007; ... THE oldest media organization in the country will file charges against members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who arrested journalists and technical crewmen during a six-hour standoff at the Manila Peninsula Hotel on Thursday. National Press Club (NPC) President Roy Mabasa said ...
Ex-NPA released after court grants amparo petition
Dec 03, 2007; ... An alleged former member of the New People's Army (NPA) was released from his military abductors after winning the first writ of amparo case in the Court of Appeals (CA).In a hearing last Thursday, the CA 5th Division ordered Lt. Col. Rommel Tello of the 1st Special Forces of the ...
GMA arrives in Madrid for state visit
Dec 03, 2007 ... President Gloria Arroyo arrived in Madrid yesterday on the first leg of a seven-day European official trip starting with a four-day state visit to Spain to further enhance the economic, historical, cultural and diplomatic ties between Spain and the Philippines. The President, ...
Govt: Expect prices of basic foods to rise
Dec 03, 2007; ... THE Department of Agriculture said it expects that prices of basic commodities in the next two to three weeks to rise due to high demand during Christmas. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap bared that there will be at least a 5-percent to 10-percent increase in prices before Christmas. He ...
IPVG sets sights on PeopleSupport
Dec 03, 2007 ... IPVG Corp. announced that it is making a move to acquire a majority stake in NASDAQ-listed PeopleSupport Inc. as the Philippine listed company signed an agreement with an international investment firm to create a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the said planned purchase. In a ...
Lady Eagles bag third place in V-League
Dec 03, 2007 ... ATENEO lived through three hard-fought sets and outsteadied Adamson for the second straight time, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23, to capture third place honors in the Shakey's V-League Second Conference before a big Sunday crowd at The Arena in San Juan. Thai import Lithawat Kesinee banged away ...
Lawmaker seeks stiffer measures for explosives
Dec 03, 2007 ... A ranking official of the House of Representatives has filed a proposed measure imposing stiffer penalties for illegal/unlawful possession of firearms and explosives. Rep. Rodolfo W. Antonino (Fourth District, Nueva Ecija, Kampi) said House Bill 2992 also imposes stiffer penalties for ...
36 rebellion charges filed: Govt says evidence suggests the failed Makati revolt was premeditated
Dec 04, 2007; ... THE two leaders of a failed uprising against the government of President Gloria Arroyo have been charged with rebellion by the Department of Justice before the Makati Regional Trial Court. Senator Antonio Trillanes 4th and Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and 34 others on Monday were accused ...
Authorities arrest treasure hunters in Mount Banahaw
Dec 04, 2007 ... MORE than twenty individuals were arrested by security forces for illegal treasure-hunting activities in a protected area of Mount Banahaw in Quezon province, police reports said Monday. Camp Crame reports said the suspects, mostly residents of Laguna province, were arrested on Saturday ...
BCDA to sell Napolcom property in Fort Boni
Dec 04, 2007; ... STATE-RUN Bases Conversion Development Authority will auction the National Police Commission property at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City. The property is one of those excluded from sale under Republic Act 7227 and, therefore, subject to privatization only through joint development ...
BSP seen to cut interest rates
Dec 04, 2007; ... THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is likely to cut its interest rates in the next Monetary Board meeting because of declining liquidity and another Fed rate cut, ING Bank said. In ING Bank's recent report, the investment bank projected BSP will cut rates by 25 basis points during the ...
Bukidnon farmers finally reach Manila
Dec 04, 2007; ... It is the end of the road for 55 farmers who walked 1,700 kilometers from Sumilao, Bukidnon to Metro Manila to protest plans to convert the land which they claim should have been distributed to them a decade ago. The Sumilao farmers arrived yes-terday in Metro Manila after completing ...
Bank lending to manufacturing, real estate, farming seen up next year
Dec 03, 2007; ... THE Bangko Sentral ng pilipinas (BSP) said bank lending would grow faster next year due to expectations of stable economic expansion. "There'll be improvement in bank lending growth to low double digit level next year," BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr., said. He however ...
Bautista retains crown
Dec 03, 2007 ... FILIPINO prospect Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista successfully defended his regional crown by decisioning Antonio "Barrio" Meza of Mexico Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. The 21-year-old Bautista demonstrated maturity and cleverness in beating his Mexican challenger who proved to be a tough ...
Congress has alternative fuels on priority list
Dec 03, 2007; ... Proposed measures to boost the development of alternative sources of energy and to reduce Philippine dependence on imported fossil fuels are now on the high priority list of the House of Representatives, House Majority Leader Arthur Defensor of Iloilo told The Times. Legislators have ...
DOLE sets aside P1.45M to help local 'beekeepers'
Dec 03, 2007 ... BAGUIO CITY: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has allocated this year some P1.45 million as capital assistance to local producers of honey known as "beekeepers" pursuant to its contribution to the government's livelihood program and employment generation, reported the Philippine ...
DILG: Number of slain militants, mediamen has declined
Dec 03, 2007 ... The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) noted a big decline in the number of slain militants and media persons, a year after the creation of a police task force investigating these unexplained killings and running after the assailants. In a report from the Philippine ...
Cebu batters beat Marikina, gain twice-to-beat edge
Dec 03, 2007 ... CEBU topped the Southern Conference following a 16-8 win over Marikina and earned the twice-to-beat advantage in the Division Finals of Baseball Philippines' Series 2 Sunday at the Rizal Baseball Stadium. The Dolphins, who also ruled the elims in the pilot series early this year, had 12 ...