A stricter “No Smoking” policy in public places will be implemented in Metro Manila starting Monday and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will see to it that it will be imposed.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will bring business caravan to Antique. The DTI has chosen the province to be one of the sites for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) caravan which is slated on the 26th and 27th day of this month.
The trade department is encouraging businesses falling under the category of [...]

Private employees from Metro Manila will receive and additional P22 in their cost-of-living allowance (COLA) per day, in lieu of a wage increase. The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR) approved Wage Order No. 16 increasing the COLA of employees. This will take effect 15 days after its publication on the daily [...]

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Saturday that tropical depression “Bebeng” has intensified into a storm. According to PAGASA, Bebeng is threatening to hit the Bicol region.
Bebeng was spotted 220 kilometers east of Legaspi City with maximum winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center as of 4 p.m. [...]

The Pantawid Pasada fuel subsidy smart cards released last May 2 to jeepney drivers have already been loaded according to the Department of Energy (DoE). The smart cards were loaded with a value of P1,050 and they can be presented at gasoline stations with signs saying “Pantawid Cards Accepted Here.” The energy department also confirmed [...]

Controversial TV show “Willing Willie” will definitely be back on air, as confirmed by TV5 publicist Peachy Guioguio.
TV5’s chairman Manny V. Pangilinan revealed in a recent interview the TV network already considered May 14 as the comeback date for the show, even as the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) suspension will be [...]

Nestlé Philippines has voluntarily recalled a number its Maggi instant noodles after some of the tested were tested for possible salmonella contamination. The company said it found traces of salmonella in two batches of the noodle product’s beef variant. “The product recall is a precautionary measure… to ensure the safety and quality of our products,” [...]

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) suspended the controversial game show Willing Willie for one month. The MTRCB, however, took into consideration the days that the show went on voluntarily off the air, which was since April 11. That means the suspension will be lifted on May 8 and the show may [...]

A mix of wage and non-wage benefits for the country’s workforce was announced by President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III on Labor Day.
The president said over a million government workers can receive another salary increase in June, or a month earlier than schedule, due to the government’s prudent fiscal management. For the private sector, he gave [...]

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)-Guangzhou and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) recently signed a cooperation agreement to co-organize the Manila-Guangzhou Trade and Investment Conference slated to be held on June.
The event, which is aimed to further boost the Philippine-China trade and investment relations, is expected to gather around [...]

The Department of Justice (DOJ) subpoenaed Ang Galing Pinoy Party List Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo and his wife Angela ordering them to appear before the justice department to answer the charges for the P73.85-million tax evasion cased filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) April 7.
The former presidential son and his wife were [...]

The Department of Health (DOH) reported that the number of dengue cases in the country is almost reaching the 20,000 mark. The report reflected in the National Epidemiology Center (NEC) shows that from January 1 to April 12, the figure reached 17,228 for individuals who have contacted dengue. Said figure is 0.33 percent than the [...]

The Department of Education (DepEd) issued a memorandum laying the school calendar for this year, including the opening date of school year 2011-2012 which will be on June 6.
Secretary Armin Luistro of DepEd said the total number of school days would 202, and the last day of the school year falls on March 30, 2012. [...]

The resignation of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez is now trending on the internet. Gutierrez was said to have submitted her letter of resignation to President Aquino, 10 days before the schedule of her Senate impeachment trial which was set to begin on May 9. Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said Gutierrez personally handed her resignation letter to [...]

The Philippine government believes that the country deserves a better credit rating, that is why it is wooing the three major credit rating agencies for an upgrade in its credit scores, amid the improving fiscal situation and external liquidity.
The three credit rating agencies – Moody’s Investors Service, Fitch Ratings, and Standard & Poor’s (S&P), were [...]

The much anticipated announcement on Labor Day will not be heard this coming May 1. Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) clarified that there will be no announcement of wage increase on May, despite Malacañang’s pronouncement before that it is coming out with a Labor Day gift to help workers [...]

Chery Automobile Ltd. announced it will build a manufacturing facility in the Philippines which will be the company’s left hand drive manufacturing hub in the Southeast Asia. Chery Philippines sales marketing manager Raymond Tribdino said the manufacturing facility will be constructed in the next three years. He said, aside from serving the local market, the [...]

Half-Filipino and world music sensation Bruno Mars made it to the TIME magazine’s list of 100 most influential people for 2011. Born Peter Gene Hernandez to a Filipino mother and Puerto Rican father, 25-year old Bruno Mars ranked no. 64 in the TIME Magazine’s list, as he joins an illustrious list of artists and activists, [...]

The Nestlé Prize in Creating Shared Value is open for nominations. The award, which is open globally, aims to recognize an individual, non-government organization, or small enterprise working in the field of nutrition, water, or rural development. The nomination will be open until June 30, 2011.
The Nestlé Prize in Creating Shared Value was launched in [...]

Xoom.com, a money online transfer company, tied up with DIRECTV to for a special offer to Xoom customers to watch the Manny Pacquiao “Pacman” Pacquiao versus Sugar Shane Mosley fight for free on DIRECTV Pay-Per-View (PPV).
The company is excited to bring this opportunity for the first time. It will be available to new Xoom customers [...]