WHILE the country’s green energy initiatives began taking off in 2009, earlier reforms in the sector risked unraveling that year. As local oil companies failed to reflect the sudden fall in world crude prices, the clamor for a revision of the Downstream Oil Deregulation Act of 1998 gained steam. Read the rest of this entry »

WITH record crude prices fading into the background, 2009 marked the year when green energy moved beyond being a promising technology for a cleaner environment in the Philippines. After decades of neglect because of high production costs and limited markets, the development of biomass, geothermal, solar, hydro, ocean and wind power—or what the Department of Energy called the Big Show—received serious attention. Read the rest of this entry »

Four persons were killed and six others were hurt when a bus driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing his vehicle to swerve and slam into a van on the opposite lane of the national highway in Gerona, Tarlac on Thursday before daybreak. Initial reports reaching Camp Crame, Supt. Salvador Destura, Gerona police chief, said the fatalities were identified as Myla Rose Mones, sisters Maricel and Maribel Galvez and driver Joseph Galleros, all on board a Mitsubishi L-300 van died in the collision, which happened at about 4 a.m. in Barangay San Antonio in Gerona town. Read the rest of this entry »

BRUSSELS – The Philippines, Mexico and Somalia were the most dangerous countries for journalists in 2009, according to the Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines – A bill pending at the Senate is mandating the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to conduct a five-year research on the viability of part-time employment as an alternative to retrenchment options for employers suffering business losses due to the global financial crisis. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines – Criminality nationwide increased by 63 percent in 2009 compared to the previous year, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported yesterday. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s dismal reputation on human rights promotion and protection got worse in 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the legality of the merger of the Lakas-Christian and Muslim Democrats with the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi). Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had its hands full in a year littered with natural and man-made catastrophes. Read the rest of this entry »