Manila begins hostage crisis probe

Authorities in the Philippines have

DOE eyes system for proper disposal of light bulbs with mercury

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Energy is planning to issue rules and regulations as well as a system to ensure the proper disposal of compact fluorescent lamps that contain the hazardous chemical mercury. ‘True, we have switched from inefficient incandescent bulbs to efficient lighting systems such CFLs. But it comes with a price—mercury is an integral component of CFLs

Nine Manila cops named in torture rap

BY GILBERT BAYORAN–> –> NINE Manila policemen were charged yesterday before the Department of Justice in connection with the alleged torture of a suspected robber inside a police station.

Mendoza’s travails began with illegal bust

BY RAYMOND AFRICA –> ROLANDO del Rosario Mendoza was a senior inspector (equivalent to captain in the military) of the PNP and deputy chief of the Manila Police District’s mobile patrol unit. Mendoza, 55, was dismissed from service on Feb

Philippines to continue using ‘coconet’ to battle erosion

Manila: The government will continue to use nets made from coconut fibre to buttress public structures and prevent soil erosion and flooding, President Benigno Aquino III said. During a recent palace event on Thursday attended by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, Aquino said the use of coconut fibre…

Philippines bus crash kills at least 40

MANILA (Reuters) – A bus swerved off the road into a ravine in the northern Philippines Wednesday…

DILG bans photos of officials on billboards and vehicles

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Interior and Local Government has banned the display of photos of all local government officials on billboards and patrol vehicles, following in the move…

PAL cabin crew airs strike threat over CBA

MANILA, Philippines—Flight attendants of Philippine Airlines (PAL) moved a step closer to holding a strike after they and the flag carrier failed to reach an agreement at the Department of Labor and Employment Monday. Andy Ortega, vice president of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP), said a strike became more likely after PAL management insisted that the attendants’ main complaint about retirement age should be discussed only in the next collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations

PAL moves to stem more pilot resignations

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Airlines has moved to staunch the mass resignation of pilots that has led to the cancellation of several flights over the past few days.

Most Metro Manila schools now have water—DepEd

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Education said Saturday the majority of schools in Metro Manila now have adequate water supply as school officials scrambled to maintain sanitation. In a statement, the DepEd said school division superintendents told Education Secretary Armin Luistro that adequate water supply had returned to most schools in the…

Testing of sex ed in schools finished, says DepEd chief

MANILA, Philippines—Only a month after it started, the pilot-testing of the Department of Education’s controversial ’sex education’ program—which was supposed to last for an entire school year—is now ‘finished,’ Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro FSC said Tuesday.

‘GMA’ out, ‘Agri-P-Noy’ in agriculture programs

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Philippines—Move over “GMA,” here comes “Agri-P-Noy.” Major programs of the Department of Agriculture would soon be prefixed with the words Agri-P-Noy, using the popular tag for President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, said Leo Cañeda, DA regional executive director for Eastern Visayas.

Sub-Zero and Wolf Announce Winners of Kitchen Design Contest

DOLE upholds PAL spin-off, outsourcing

MANILA, Philippines—Philippine Airlines’ spin-off and outsourcing plan that would transfer three of the airline’s noncore units to third-party service providers is a ‘valid exercise of managerial prerogative,’ the Department of Labor ruled Friday. In a 32-page decision penned by Acting Labor Secretary Romeo C. Lagman,…

Sex education now a reality

MANILA, Philippines—Besides worrying about classroom shortages, textbook errors, and large classes, some teachers will now also have to worry about teaching sex education as more than 23 million students go back to schools on Tuesday. Despite opposition from the Catholic Church and some parents, the Department of Education (DepEd) will push through this school year with the pilot-testing of sex education in 80 elementary schools and 79 high schools around the country. The DepEd has been teaching sex education before as it was integrated in other subjects like Biology, but this time the Church is protesting a specific project of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to introduce the…

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