THE Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has laid down contingency measures against possible disruption of services of Philippine Airlines (PAL) that a strike by the flag-carrier’s ground and cabin crew could bring about. Dante Velasco, DOTC Undersecretary for Public Information, over the weekend, told reporters that the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) had informed the department that Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR) and Spirit of Manila Airlines (SOMA) have shown interest to serve the routes that PAL may stop serving because of the strike.

THE Philippines is not only the text messaging capital of the world, but also has emerged as the world’s top user of YouTube and other video-sharing websites, according to a global survey of Internet users. In its Power to the People - social media tracker survey, Universal Maccann said more than four million Filipinos are active Internet users in the country, helped by the various social networking sites and available online video capabilities.

THE Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Boards have approved the salary increases of workers in two regions in Visayas and Mindanao.

Based on the report, the workers in the Central Visayas (Region VII) will receive a P18-daily wage increase, while those in the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) will get a P15 increase and another P15 to be integrated in the cost of living allowance under the previous wage order.

Palace officials over the weekend expressed satisfaction over the business confidence registered at an “all-time high” rate of 59.2 percent, which they vowed to maintain or improve throughout the Aquino administration. Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon “Ricky” Carandang gave this guarantee in an interview over Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.

Water faucets in Metro Manila’s west zone or those serviced by Maynilad Water Services Inc. may end up dry in the next two months should the rains continue to miss the Angat dam in Bulacan. Herbert Consunji, Maynilad Water officer-in-charge, said in a press conference Monday that this is the likely worst-case scenario facing the utility’s concession in the light of the continued depletion of the Angat dam’s reserves.

DESPITE its benign inflation outlook in the medium term, the Philippine central bank sees upside risks given the pending petitions for power and transport fare hikes and the possibility that global commodity prices could turn upward, an official said. “Should the inflation outlook turn out to be less favorable as growth continues to gain traction domestically, then there could be some inflation pressures, but we remain cognizant of that,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Assistant Deputy Governor Ma. Cyd Tuano-Amador said.

Former Agriculture Secretary Luis “Cito” Lorenzo Jr. should be charged with plunder along with former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante and other officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the alleged P728-million fertilizer fund scam, former Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. said on Thursday.

Money sent home in May by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) hit a fresh record for a single month, the central bank said. In a statement, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said remittances from Filipinos working abroad grew 6.5 percent to $1.6 billion from $1.48 billion in the same month last year.

The Philippines, the world’s biggest rice importer in recent years, is now overstocked with the grain and will likely cut overseas orders dramatically, the government said on Tuesday. Angelito Banayo, the chairman of the National Food Authority (NFA), described import orders by the previous administration as extremely excessive, hinting that corrupt officials may have been responsible.

SEN. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd’s first official words after Congress proclaimed him the Philippines’ 15th President failed to inspire the peso, as the local currency moved sideways against the US dollar Wednesday.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said consumer confidence index weakened in the second quarter this year from the overall impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon and uncertainties in the job market. But the outlook for the next quarter turned out to be positive.

Customers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will have to pay more for their electricity in April as the cost of power generation continues to remain high.

Besides having to pay more for electricity, Meralco customers, as well as other power consumers in Luzon, had to endure for the third straight day rotating brownouts of three-hour durations on Thursday because of unreliable operations of a number of power plants.

At least 26 election observers to be picked from its embassy in Manila will be deployed by the Japanese government for the Philippines’ first automated polls on May 10.

Makoto Katsura, Japanese ambassador to the Philippines, disclosed this during the launch of the Inter-agency Program to Nurture Peace, Security and Decent Work through Local Development in Conflict Areas of Bondoc Peninsula held at the International Labor Organization office in Makati City on Thursday.

The Philippines enjoyed a threefold rise in its dollar surplus in April mainly because of the resilience of remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFW).

SAN Miguel Corp. (SMC) said its profits grew in the first three months on the back of stronger sales of its business units.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the diversifying conglomerate reported that its net income rose 7 percent in the first quarter to P2.9 billion from last year's P2.7 billion.