To a certain degree, Executive Order 839 questioned the lies long peddled by the oil companies and staunch defenders of neoliberalism about neoliberal free market economics. If left unchallenged, EO 839 could become a precedent in policy making: that the government, in the name of public good and welfare, could take decisive action against abusive corporations.

OIL CRISIS   Amid the uproar over the Malacañang-imposed oil price ceiling, Executive Order (EO) 389 is apparently a mere government public relations gimmick, according to Ibon Foundation.

HEALTH   “The tobacco industry is training its guns and armor not for battle but to entice our young children to smoking addiction and lead them to suffer from tobacco-related deaths. Expect the industry to launch more sophisticated marketing and public relation gimmicks to penetrate the Asia Pacific market where governments are starting to implement stricter bans on smoking and tobacco advertising and promotions,” said Dr. Maricar Limpin, FCAP Executive Director.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS   While the government bears down on small businesses and producers, warning them against profiteering in the wake of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, it has allowed Shell, Caltex and Petron to increase oil prices at will.

BUSINESS   Despite external factors that had most food and beverage businesses reeling from slower-than-anticipated growth in consumer demand, San Miguel Corporation today announced its full-year consolidated sales revenue of P168.0 billion, 14% higher than 2007 levels of 148.0 billion.

Construction firms that have been blacklisted by international funding agencies for corrupt practices face permanent ban from participating in infrastructure projects of the government if a proposal of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) is enacted into law.

The 2,000 factory workers in Intel Philippines about to lose their jobs this year topped the headlines today. The alarming rate of displaced workers, not only in Intel, can never be concealed to the public anymore.
Hardest hit are mostly non-unionised workers in the electronics and car manufacturing in export processing zones in CALABARZON.
Amkor Technology [...]

Business, tourism and migrant workers groups have hailed the forthcoming aviation talks between the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines as a major opportunity to expand and strengthen economic ties at amidst the global economic slowdown.
After a long hiatus of six years, the negotiating panels of the Philippines and the UAE are scheduled [...]

MANILA – Philippine Airlines cancelled its morning service to Bangkok today and is closely monitoring developments in the Thai capital before deciding whether to operate its evening service.
Flight PR 730, scheduled to depart Manila at 10:30 a.m., was called off, as was the return flight, PR 731, which was scheduled to depart Bangkok at 2:00 [...]

ECONOMY  By Sonny Africa  |  While the Philippines has been made vulnerable to external financial shocks as a result of the US crisis and made internally weaker by globalization, the Arroyo administration is still pushing for more of the same through the constitutional amendments.

BUSINESS | TECHNOLOGY   Consumer group TxtPower said today that Smart’s move could “end the e-loading businesses of at least 3,000 dealers and their tens of thousands of partners.” There is a possibility that Smart’s plan would affect Smart subscribers, it added.

ECONOMY   By Carlos H. Conde |  The Philippines appears to be walking an economic tightrope again. Three of the pillars of its economy – call centers, electronics exports and inward remittances — are all deeply exposed to the US economy, which is going into the tank.

BUSINESS & FINANCE  Philippine Airlines today reported a total comprehensive loss of $113.8 million for the first six months (April to September) of its current fiscal year – principally the result of the unprecedented surge in fuel prices that occurred in the second quarter.