Greenpeace today challenged Bayer to stop contaminating the world’s rice supply with GMOs (genetically modified organisms), during a forum on rice genetics sponsored by the giant agrochemical company and hosted by IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) in Manila.

A celebrated author of children’s stories and literary professor from the University of the Philippines, Eugene Evasco has further cemented his stature in the world of Filipino literature as he joins this year the ranks of Palanca Hall of Famers.

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.

POPULATION   Reproductive health must be viewed and not separated from the overall context of people’s health. As the economy worsens, the state of the public health system also deteriorates.

TOURISM   By Jennifer Guste  |  The reclassification of lands for tourism means only one thing for rural families: the large-scale physical and economic displacement of farmers and fisherfolk communities.

ENVIRONMENT   By Ayi Muallam  |  This coming Holy Week, Mount Banahaw and Mount San Cristobal in Southern Tagalog will remain closed to pilgrims and trekkers “to allow the two mountains to “heal” themselves from decades of wanton environmental destruction.”

ARTS & CULTURE   By Ayi Muallam  |  President Arroyo signed into law on Thursday Republic Act 9521 or the National Book Development Trust Fund Act, which aims to provide Filipino authors reasonable amounts of money to help them complete their manuscripts for publication.

TRAVEL & LEISURE   The tour package costs only $999 includes roundtrip international airfare from San Francisco, Los Angeles or Las Vegas via Philippine Airlines, two-night hotel accommodation in any of the selected deluxe hotels, daily American breakfast and one-way transfer from the airport to hotel or vice versa.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today urged the government to take aggressive steps for the recovery of Philippine cultural and art treasures that were carted away by foreigners during the colonial era.
Pimentel proposed that the National Commission for Culture and the Arts should be empowered and given additional funding to undertake efforts [...]

Almost two years ago, mercury in schools was a big headline. A mercury spill had occurred in a school in Parañaque, exposing dozens of students to mercury poisoning and creating a clean-up and decontamination effort that cost millions of pesos.
A different and more benign mercury incident is happening at the School of [...]

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 [...]