Monday, April 21, 2008

I. BANNER STORIES

1. Philippine Daily Inquirer

Poor warned: Rice can be political tool

Cabral: Protect access cards

By Jocelyn Uy

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 01:08:00 04/21/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral urged the poor on Sunday to be vigilant once cheap rice becomes available in their communities, warning that the "access cards" that would allow the poorest families to buy government-subsidized rice might be used as a political tool.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080421-131656/Poor-warned-Rice-can-be-political-tool

2. The Philippine Star

Metro wage hike still possible in May – DOLE

By Mayen Jaymalin

Monday, April 21, 2008

Workers in Metro Manila are likely to get a pay increase next month.

Acting Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said yesterday that the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board is expected to grant another round of pay hike in May.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008042086

3. Manila Times

MNLF peace pact in limbo

Govt needs more time to finalize 1996 agreement

By Angelo S. Samonte, Reporter

More than a decade after signing the peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), government said Sunday it will take more time to implement the pact.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/apr/21/yehey/top_stories/20080421top1.html

4. Malaya

Congress tackles rice, baseline bill

‘There should be no politics in ensuring food for people’

BY JP LOPEZ and WENDELL VIGILIA

CONGRESS resumes today with the Senate tackling the issue of rice and food sufficiency while the House of Representatives deliberates on Malacañang’s proposal to treat the Kalayaan Island Group and Scarborough Shoal as "regime of islands" instead of being part of the country’s archipelagic baseline.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/apr21/news1.htm

5. Manila Bulletin

6. The Daily Tribune

7. Abante

RICE CARTELS PROTEKTADO!

Nina Rose Miranda, Noel Abuel, Eralyn Prado, Tina Mendoza at Jethro Sinocruz

Lumitaw na ‘untouchable’ o protektado ng Malacañang ang mga negosyanteng nagmomonopolya sa supply ng bigas sa bansa.

http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/apr2108/default.htm

8. Abante-Tonite

P20 WAGE HIKE NAMUMURO!

Bernard Taguinod

Nangangamba ang isang mambabatas sa Kamara na umabot lamang sa P20 ang ibibigay na umento sa sahod ng Regional Wage Board (RWB) na hindi pa makakabili kahit isang kilo ng bigas.

http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/apr2108/news_story1.htm

9. Pilipino Star Ngayon

‘Kill Satur’ nasilat!

Ni Danilo Garcia

Monday, April 21, 2008

Kung hindi agad naitimbre kay Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo ang presensiya ng apat na killers na nakaabang na malapit sa kanyang tahanan habang papauwi siya mula sa Canada, malamang napatay na ang Party-list representative.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Bansa&p=50&type=2&sec=54&aid=2008042037

10. Journal

CHEAPER DRUGS

By: Bernadette E. Tamayo

Finally, affordable medicines bill to get nod

SENATORS Mar Roxas and Pia Cayetano see no major impediment to the approval of the Cheaper Medicines Bill this week unless some congressmen refuse to drop the generics-only provision.

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-04-21&sec=1&aid=56799

11. Business World

Priority bills again in focus

Congress expects to approve two before June adjournment

CONGRESS RESUMES SESSION today after a month-long break, aiming to approve more of the priority measures set by the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

http://bworldonline.com/BW042108/content.php?id=001

12. Business Mirror

DOF eyes moves vs smuggling

By VG Cabuag

Reporter

PRIVATE-sector and civil-society groups have asked the government to share copies of inward foreign manifests which, at the moment, are being handled by the Bureau of Customs (BOC), with other government agencies prior to the arrival of shipments.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/04212008/headlines01.html

II. POLITICAL

Armed men reported staking out Satur's house

By Marlon Ramos, Anselmo Roque, Norman Bordadora

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 02:49:00 04/21/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Unidentified armed men believed to be police officers caused alarm among the neighbors and security aides of Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo after they were seen staking out his residence in Quezon City Sunday morning.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080421-131668/Armed-men-reported-staking-out-Saturs-house

Analysis

Low credibility bodes ill for Arroyo riding out crisis

By Amando Doronila

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 07:27:00 04/21/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Ill winds of summer portentous of the government's capacity to ride out the gathering storm over the spiraling food prices are blowing from the opinion polls.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080421-131695/Low-credibility-bodes-ill-for-Arroyo-riding-out-crisis

Price of fertilizer next to rise

Ban on export of commodity inputs urged

By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 07:26:00 04/21/2008

MANILA, Philippines—A looming fertilizer crisis is compounding the country’s hope of stabilizing the supply and price of rice and other food products.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080421-131694/Price-of-fertilizer-next-to-rise

Huge wage hikes bigger problem than rice, says economist

By Doris Dumlao

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 06:05:00 04/21/2008

MANILA, Philippines—More than the rice crisis, the clamor for hefty wage increases could spell trouble for the Philippine economy, a regional economist of Standard Chartered (Stanchart) bank has warned.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080421-131686/Huge-wage-hikes-bigger-problem-than-rice-says-economist

Malacañang honors heroes of the environment

By Paolo Romero

Monday, April 21, 2008

Malacañang led yesterday the awarding of six individuals and groups who have led the cause in protecting the environment in their respective communities and advocacies.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008042087

‘Biodiversity in region endangered’

By Katherine Adraneda

Monday, April 21, 2008

The ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB) yesterday called for intensified environment conservation in Southeast Asia, as it declared a “red alert” for the region’s rich biodiversity.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008042088

New RP passport not tamper-proof?

By Rainier Allan Ronda

Monday, April 21, 2008

The government’s system in issuing the new “machine readable” passports (MRPs) is reportedly vulnerable to falsification and does not comply with international standards for the issuance of machine readable travel documents set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008042090

Senate resumes session, tackles rice, baselines bill

By Christina Mendez

Monday, April 21, 2008

Senators are expected to buckle down to work as Congress resumes session today to help address the country’s needs in the economic, social and environmental fronts, Senate President Manuel Villar said yesterday.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008042092

DA to provide update on rice problem

By Marianne Go

Monday, April 21, 2008

The Department of Agriculture (DA) will provide today an update on current rice concerns during a roundtable discussion on food security hosted by the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna (UPLB).

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008042095

GMA to tackle food-for-school program

Monday, April 21, 2008

It will be a busy week for President Arroyo who will lead the Cabinet and government agencies in refurbishing various programs to address high prices of basic commodities.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008042096

DOT launches ecological park

By Helen Flores

Monday, April 21, 2008

GUIMARAS – The Department of Tourism (DOT) launched here on Saturday a United Nations-funded ecological park, which aims to revive tourism two years after a major oil spill hit the island province.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008042097

P5-B farm-to-market roads, irrigation projects to be completed this year

By Paolo Romero

Monday, April 21, 2008

Malacañang announced yesterday that several infrastructure projects, including irrigation and farm-to-market roads worth over P5 billion, which are geared at improving the country’s food security would be completed this year.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008042098

Biofuels under attack amid soaring prices of food items

PARIS: Hailed only months ago as a silver bullet in the fight against global warming, biofuels are now accused of snatching food out of the mouths of the poor.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/apr/21/yehey/top_stories/20080421top2.html

Palace to Senate: Stop investigating, start helping

BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR

MALACAÑANG yesterday asked senators to set aside inquiries and focus instead on helping the administration address rising prices of rice and other commodities.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/apr21/news2.htm

Solons atrasan sa family planning

(Bernard Taguinod/Rose Miranda)

Lalong lumabo ang tsansang makontrol ang populasyon ng Pilipinas dahil nag-atrasan na ang mga mambabatas na unang sumuporta sa Reproductive Health Bill na magbibigay sana ng edukasyon sa mga Filipino kung papaano magkontrol ng pamilya.

http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/apr2108/news_story2.htm

Lozada idinepensa

(JB Salarzon)

Hindi pinalampas ng Black and White Movement (BWM) ang negatibong komento ng lider ng Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) hinggil umano sa “political gimmicks” na ginagawa ni ZTE broadband scandal star witness Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr.

http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/apr2108/news_story4.htm

Senate moves to expand student jobs plan

THE Senate committees on labor, employment and human resources development and on finance have jointly endorsed a bill seeking to expand an educational financing program so that a greater number of underprivileged high school and college students may benefit from it.

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-04-21&sec=4&aid=56840

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