MANILA, July 6, 2011—Prospects for the Philippine economy remain favorable in 2011 as investments, private consumption and the services sector are expected to strengthen. The challenge now is sustaining the momentum of reform for achieving inclusive or broad-based growth that benefits the poor.

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Based on SWS data, the latest hunger rate is the lowest since June 2007, when the recorded figure was at 14.7 percent.

In its survey, SWS asked 1,200 respondents nationwide: “In the last 3 months, did it happen even once that your family experienced hunger and not have anything to eat?”

Those who answered in the affirmative were further asked: “Did it happen ‘only once,’ ‘a few times,’ ‘often’ or ‘always?’”

SWS classified experiencing hunger only once or a few times as “moderate hunger,” while going hungry often or always was categorized as “severe hunger.”

Nationwide, those who experienced moderate hunger decreased from 15.7 percent (3.2 million families) in March to 13.1 percent (2.6 million families) in June.

Those who experienced severe hunger fell from 4.7 percent (950,000 families) in March to 2 percent (403,000 families) in June.

By geographical area, overall hunger rates decreased in Luzon outside Metro Manila and Metro Manila, but rose in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Read more here. Also, please consider a donation to the PAS soup kitchen.

MANILA, Philippines — Concerned government agencies are working double time to rescue 2.4 million children from hard labor and instead send them to school, Malacañang announced Wednesday.

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MANILA — Thousands of people in the Philippines fled their homes as a volcano erupted on Monday, sending a spectacular column of ash high into the sky, residents said.

The eruption of Bulusan, a 1,559-metre (5,115-foot) volcano, turned mid-morning into night for about 20 minutes across largely farming areas around its slopes, regional army spokesman Major Harold Cabunoc told AFP.

“There was a major ashfall. There was zero visibility,” Cabunoc said.

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LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Philippines —The United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP) on Tuesday sent 55,000 kilos of high energy biscuits worth P5 million to families in Albay who were affected by heavy rains for more than three weeks now.

Stephen Anderson, WFP country director, said this would augment ongoing relief operations in Bicol.

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In the Philippines, we managed the thrift store that my brother Steve and his wife Katy started while they were working for PAS earlier this year. The thrift store benefits the working poor by giving them quality clothing and children’s books for a fraction of what they’d pay elsewhere. It also helps us cover overhead expenses like utilities so that donations can go straight to feeding and caring for the poor. My wife and I were fortunate enough to be able to serve at our mobile soup kitchen during our visit. (I’ll post some pictures soon.)

I’m excited to announce that Philippine Aid Society will be expanding our partnership with the outreach ministry of the University of Pampanga in San Fernando. With their administrative structure and volunteer base, we will be able to help fund many new programs to help the poor and expand our service area. Thanks to all our donors for making this possible!

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine police have entered a bus after shots were heard from the hostage-taker of 15 Chinese tourists, and at least four of the hostages crawled out of the back door.

There was no immediate confirmation of any casualties in the daylong standoff in downtown Manila late Monday.

Earlier, police officer Roderick Mariano cited the Filipino driver who escaped moments before police surrounded the bus as saying the hostage-taker, a dismissed policeman armed with an M16 rifle, had opened fire at the tourists.  Read the rest of story here…

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., the Philippines biggest media conglomerate, posted an all time high profit of P2.27 billion ($50.6 million) in the first six months of the year.

In a disclosure issued today, the company reported that the earnings in the first half is 179 percent more than the net income posted during the same period last year.

“At this level, it looks like the P3 billion ($66.8 million) net income (for the whole year of 2010) is within reach,” ABS-CBN chief financial officer Rolando Valdueza said.  Read the rest of the story here.

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – The government borrowed on net basis P4.5 trillion ($100.2 billion) worth of funds from foreign and domestic creditors in May, 2.7 percent higher than the previous month, the Bureau of Treasury said today.

Of the total debt stock, 43 percent is owed to foreign creditors and 57 percent to domestic creditors.

National Treasurer Roberto Tan said the erosion of the value of the peso against the US dollar pushed foreign debt to increase 4. 3 percent on a month-on-month basis to P1.97 trillion ($43.9 billion). Read the rest of the story here.