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.

Local transport firm Green Frog Zero Emission Transport Corp. dared to take the huge risk in the electric vehicle industry and expressed interest to buy some 3,000 electric buses in the next seven years, with the initial 38 units coming in from China within the year.
Green Frog director Philip Apostol said the 36-passenger buses will [...]

The Diskwento Caravan (Discount Caravan) will soon roll out to areas outside Metro Manila to bring cheaper goods to more Filipino consumers.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) secretary Gregory L. Domingo said, “We also want consumers in various regions to experience the reduced prices of goods sold at the caravan which Metro Manila residents were [...]

The Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp.’s plan to raise fresh fund for power generation via stock rights offer was approved by the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).
The Phinma-led company got the nod from PSE when the latter posted a memorandum on Friday saying that its board has approved the listing of 1.16billion additional common shares [...]

Philippine company Alliance Select Food International Inc. sealed a deal to acquire 100 percent of US company Spence & Co. Ltd., a Massachusetts-based salmon smoking and curing company who specializes in the production of smoked salmon and seafood, prepared in the Scottish tradition of its founder Alan Spence. The company caters to the high-end market [...]

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 [...]

Pancake House Inc. reported a net income of P73.66 million for 2010, a figure which more than doubled the P35.56 million it posted in 2009. The Lorenzo-owned casual dining restaurant chain attributed the growth to its outlet consolidation and realignment of resources to profit-generating activities.
The company also owns and operates various other restaurant brands, aside [...]

Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) temporarily stopped its operation, starting from April 18 and will resume production on May 2. The work stoppage was due to the shortage in parts and components supply which are coming from Japan. The country’s all-commercial vehicle assemble is still optimistic though that it would be able to sustain its 17 [...]

President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III yesterday said he wants oil companies to open their books to public scrutiny to prove that they were not taking advantage of the public in their series of oil price increases.
“That was my position ever since I have been in public service, isn’t it? If reasonable, why can’t they show [...]

In response to the steady rising of oil prices, the Aquino government is planning to resort to “extreme legal measure” by issuing an executive order that would ban further oil price increases. The same has been done during the Arroyo administration when Executive Order was in issued in 2009 to freeze oil prices.
Department of Justice [...]

Another addition to the Lenten sacrifice of Filipinos for the Holy Week: The prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have gone up by P1/kilo or P11 per 11-kg tank on Holy Wednesday. The price increase was implemented after some fuel firms raised prices of their products.
According to the LPG Marketers’ Association (LPGMA), the increase was [...]

The House of Representatives approved last week on third and final reading a bill requiring all hospitals and clinics to post price list of all their series, incidental expenses and medical supplies in a conspicuous place in their premises to ensure accessible, transparent, and reliable delivery of services.
House Bill 4308 author Pasig Representative Roman Romulo [...]

Possibly fearing that theirs could go the way of Jan-Jan’s case and escalate into another media frenzy, McDonald’s Philippines immediately pulled out its add which was tagged by some as the “BF-GF commercial” after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called for them to stop airing the ad.

Splash Corporation reported its profit up to 500 percent to P144 million in 2010 from P23.74 million in 2009. The leading personal care manufacturer reported to the Philippine Stock Exchange that its big financial figures last year can be attributed to its strong performance across all its business segments – domestic, international and direct selling.
Splash [...]

Local oil companies raised their prices anew, even before the fuel subsidy for public utility jeepneys (PUJs) and tricycles could even be implemented. The prices for gasoline and diesel were increased by P1.50 to P1.75 a liter and kerosene by P1.40 a liter.
The first to implement the latest price increase were Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., [...]

Stradcom Corp., the exclusive IT service provider for the Land Transportation Office (LTO) warns of a possible shutdown of the database and computer system it operates for the agency if the LTO continues to refuse remitting payments to the private firm. Stradcom provide and maintains LTO’s information technology facilities, including its database and licensing functions.
The [...]

The smartcards would be released to public utility jeepneys (PUJs) and tricycle operators on May 1 or May 2, according to presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. The implementing rules and regulations were finalized and issued last week.
Lacierda said that Malacañang also warned public transport groups of stiff sanction if they jeopardize the public welfare with crippling [...]

Multinational firm Johnson & Johnson was fined by the United States authorities $70 million on for bribing doctors in Europe and paying kickbacks for contracts under a United Nations (UN) relief program in Iraq.
According to the US Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission, the cosmetics and drug giant has paid doctors and hospitals [...]

After being put in the hot seat once again, controversial television host Willie Revillame announced last Friday that his program “Willing Willie” will be off the air temporarily. Revillame made the announcement after major sponsors started pulling their ads one by one.
The controversy started on the March 12 episode of “Willing Willie” where  six year [...]

There was a buzz circulating in social media Twitter and Facebook that the 11,000 ATM accounts Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. (BDO) where compromised. However, BDO belied this report and said there is no truth to this rumor.
The buzz was several Twitter users reported on Thursday the 11,000 BDO ATM cards were compromised Wednesday evening, [...]