Major cleanup. A thick pile of garbage mars the view of Manila Bay on Thursday, carried by waves rendered strong by Typhoon Marce, which has dumped heavy rains on Metro Manila the past three days. --ROY DOMINGO

Consumer confidence plunges

CONSUMER despair has magnified under the latest survey conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) due to worries about the economy and inflation.

Deputy BSP Governor Diwa Guinigundo reported on Thursday the consumer confidence index for the third quarter had slipped again to negative 52.8 percent from 43.8 percent in the second quarter.

Oil companies roll back prices by P2 per liter

MOTORISTS will get some relief when they refill their fuel tanks just before the weekend, as oil companies have rolled back the price of gasoline, diesel and kerosene by P2 per liter to reflect the continuous downtrend in world oil prices.

Chevron Philippines Inc., Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Seaoil Philippines Inc., Total (Philippines) Corp. and Unioil Petroleum Philippines Inc., in separate statements on Thursday, announced the price cuts that take effect on Friday morning.

GSIS prods SC to void July 23 ruling favoring Meralco

THE Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) on Thursday reiterated its call for the Supreme Court (SC) to invalidate the July 23 decision of dismissed Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Vicente Roxas, which upheld the control of the Lopez bloc over the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

In an interview, GSIS chief legal counsel Estrella Elamparo said the irregularities discovered by the SC three-man panel on the way Roxas handled the case are enough grounds for the Court to set aside his ponencia.

MasterCard survey: Aspac retail sales to stay robust

RETAIL sales across Asia-Pacific are predicted to continue their strong showing for the second semester despite growing concerns arising from the international financial market unrest, according to the latest MasterCard Worldwide Index of Retail recently released by MasterCard.

All 12 Asia-Pacific markets are expected to continue seeing positive growth in retail sales, with China taking the lead once again as it did in the same reporting period last year. The Philippines ranked fifth among the 12 markets in terms of retail growth outlook.

Metropac to lend P500M to Landco to settle loans

METRO Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), the local flagship company of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co., said on Thursday it has agreed to lend Landco Pacific Corp. up to P500 million to settle maturing loans and support working capital requirements.

The company owns 51 percent of Landco, a real-estate firm primarily engaged in upscale and leisure property developments.

Pafmil: Big bakers miss discounts

BIG bakers are allegedly exaggerating the amount of additional charges, according to flour millers: When bakers say the rise is P40 to P50 a 25-kilogram bag, the actual increase is just P13.

Philippine Association of Flour Millers (Pafmil) executive director Ric Pinca said Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) records would show the price of hard flour effective March 2008 was P946 to P957 per bag depending on the quality, packaging and manufacturer.

Education budget still way below need

THE House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations on Thursday began deliberations on the proposed 2009 budget with the allotment for education under scrutiny.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus told the committee that with new and larger challenges facing the giving of basic education to a growing number of students, they need the larger amount suggested by the Palace.

Critics knew of P.2-B road project, says Joker

SEN. Joker Arroyo asserted on Thursday that senators pushing for an inquiry into the alleged “double entry” of P200-million funding in the 2008 budget for the C-5 extension project in Parañaque City would be investigating themselves.

Tour agents want DMIA open skies

TRAVEL agents are seeking immediate full implementation of the open-skies rule that is limited to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), seeing in it a resulting increase in arrivals and faster development of tourism infrastructure—roads, hotels, resorts—in Central Luzon that may spill over to Metro Manila and other local tourist destinations.

Church pushes drive vs RH bill; Atienza weighs in

THE campaign against the reproductive-health bill has garnered 100,000 signatures all over the country since July, according to a Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) official.

A GAS-STATION attendant services a jeepney filling up in Parañaque City. Unioil will again lower its gasoline price, this time by P3 per liter, or P1 more than the P2 rollback declared by its rivals. --NONIE REYES