Typhoon ‘Frank’ maintains strength; 90 km southeast of Metro

Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines–(UPDATE) Typhoon Frank (international code name: Fengshen) has maintained its strength and its eye was located 90 kilometers southeast of Metro Manila (13.9°N 121.5°E) in the latest bulletin issued by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the state weather bureau.

Rescue ship reaches stricken ferry; typhoon death toll at 80

GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines – Worried relatives wept Sunday as they awaited news of more than 800 passengers and crew aboard a ferry that capsized as Typhoon “Frank” (Fengshen) swamped the Philippines, killing more than 80 people and submerging entire communities.

On zero oil tariff cut: Relieve consumers, not oil firms

Independent think-tank IBON Foundation criticizes the Department of Energy and Malacañang for passing the zero oil tariff cut, saying that reduced tariffs in the last three months has resulted in even higher prices of oil products.

Teachers’ Wages Deteriorate As Tuition Fees Soar – EFD

While Filipino families are still coping from escalating prices of basic commodities like rice, bread and meat products and the never-ending rise of oil prices, they are once again faced by enrollment woes this month: tuition fee hikes.

The Department of Education has already announced that the tuition fee increase in private elementary and high schools this school year may range from 2% to 10%. Such can only be expected from a deregulated and commercialized education system, with the government allowing schools to increase their fees at will, the Educators’ Forum for Development (EFD) said.

Extrajudicial killings during Arroyo term now 903 – Karapatan

abs-cbnnews.com

A total of 903 cases of extrajudicial killings have been reported since President Arroyo assumed office, the human rights group Karapatan said on Tuesday.

Of the total, Karapatan said three regions had the most number of extrajudicial killings–Southern Tagalog at 163, followed by Central Luzon at 137, and Bicol Region, 127. Majority of the victims were reportedlt peasants (419) and indigenous people (85) while the partylist group Bayan Muna and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) have the most numbers of alleged victims placed at 132 and 104 respectively.

Environmental activist groups support Nueva Vizcaya officials standing against mining operation of Oceana Gold Philippines

“We commend and support the action of Nueva Vizcaya Gov. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan haulting the mining operation of Oceana Gold Philippines in Didipio,” Clemente Bautista, National Coordinator of the environmental activist group Kalikasan-PNE said in a statement today.

Livelihod worse today, says most Filipinos – Ibon survey

More Filipinos feel that their livelihood worsened compared to the previous quarter, according to the latest results of the nationwide survey conducted by research group IBON Foundation.

Gov’t should buy 40% petron stake to help control prices hikes-IBON

Independent research group IBON Foundation called on government to buy the 40% share in Petron being sold by Saudi Aramco as part of a plan for responsible state intervention in the oil sector.

Aspiring to ‘mining country’ status will throw RP into deeper poverty – Kalikasan

An environmentalist group today chided Philippine Environment Secretary Lito Atienza for celebrating the continuing flow of foreign mining projects into the country during the Asia Mining Congress in Singapore last week, warning that most developing countries which have pursued the path of mining liberalization have only ended up with higher poverty rates and devastated ecologies.

Obsession over fiscal balance behind gov’t proposal to increase NFA prices – Ibon

The government’s obsession with balancing the budget to satisfy its creditors is behind the proposal to increase National Food Authority (NFA) rice prices, according to independent think-tank IBON Foundation.