LOOKING noticeably older than her 35 years, work-weary Maritess Lorenzo, a mother of three small children whose family has known no other livelihood than rice farming, takes a precious rest while cooking rice outside her dilapidated hut in San Mateo, Isabela. Like many farming families, hers can barely meet food needs despite the place’s being the “Rice Granary of the North.” --IMELDA ABAÑO

EXPANDING may be difficult, but they are definitely not leaving.

This is the situation of electronics and semiconductor makers in the country as they continue to study how the global market will shape up while the feared recession in the US unfolds.

SAN MATEO, Isabela—She has grown rice all her life. Maritess Lorenzo, a mother of three small children, is just 35 years old, but she looks much older. She is always the last to eat when the family faces starvation or food shortage.

Maritess and her husband are among the thousands of rice farmers in Isabela province—the biggest province dubbed as the “Rice Granary of the North,” which produces 40 percent of the country’s rice requirements.

THE improved collection efficiency of both the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in February did nothing to prevent the national government from incurring a deficit totaling P32.9 billion in the first two months.

The two-month budgetary shortfall was larger than the year-ago deficit of only P18.6 billion and resulted from revenues reaching P168.8 billion against expenditures reaching P201.7 billion.

THE Philippines is facing a fish shortage because of overfishing and unsustainable aquaculture practices being promoted by the government in lieu of municipal fishermen’s traditional fishing practices.

Kilusang Mangingisda (KM), a coalition of 14 fishermen’s federations, said overfishing and unsustainable aquaculture practices have pushed the local fisheries sector on the “verge of resource collapse.”

THE National Power Corp. (Napocor) Power Economics Department said power supply in the Luzon grid will hover around 6,600 megawatts (MW) to 8,000 MW per day from March to June 2008, meaning power supply would remain normal during the hot months.

The assurance came amid worries the scheduled maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya gas field may cut down power supply to less than enough for Luzon.

WHILE core inflation, which reflects the long view on prices, kicked up to 4.8 percent year-on-year in March from 4 percent in February, rising inflation is not a big threat and domestic prices would remain within target, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said  Friday.

Core inflation removes specific food and energy related items from the consumer price index, or the theoretical basket of services and goods Filipinos typically purchase.

WHILE the Philippines ranked among top 10 countries with privately held businesses that include corporate social responsibility (CSR) as programs, firms are still far from good waste management and energy efficiency.

This was revealed by the recent study of accounting firm Grant Thornton International Ltd. on companies that “do good.”

IN hopes of avoiding donor-driven projects, the government is set to create a fund to help implementing agencies prioritize government projects that will be presented to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) for approval.

MORE STORIES ...

Knocked down. Mexico’s Genaro Camargo sits on the mat after being knocked down by the Philippines’s Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista (left in the second round of their World Boxing Organization junior-featherweight title match in suburban Manila Sunday. Bautista won in the 2nd round to defend his title. --AP