|
|
 |
|
|
‘Bike for a
Cause’
Thousands of bikers participate in the Tour of the
Fireflies 2008, with the theme “I Bike for Clean Air,”
during its kickoff at Tiendesitas in Pasig City. The “bike
for a cause” is one of the many activities initiated by
the government and the private sector to drum up awareness
for the observance of Earth Day on April 22.
--NONOY LACZA |
| HEADLINES |
|
|
|
DOF
eyes moves vs smuggling |
|
|
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.
In the first
meeting of Ports Transparency Alliance, a body composed of
government, private-sector and civil-society groups, the
groups said such would help in the transparency measures of
the BOC, which has been cleansing its systems of graft and
corruption through automation initiatives. |
|
‘Food-security needs to push up prices’ |
|
|
THE trade
policies of exporting countries, which place importance on
their own food security first, would place additional upward
pressure on prices, the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) warned in its April report on the grains
market.
“The cutback
in exportable supplies has resulted in record rice prices,
as indicated by Thailand and the US. Some major suppliers
have banned or restricted exports in order to protect
domestic supplies and dampen their own food-price
inflation,” said the report “Grains: World Market and Trade”
dated April 9. |
|
Amid
rice scam, govt defends self |
|
|
AS some
traders are suspected of cornering cheap government rice in
Nueva Ecija, erstwhile rice granary of the Philippines,
Malacañang. Sunday parried allegations the rice crisis is
due to the Arroyo administration’s negligence and
mismanagement. |
|
Developing countries not out of woods yet |
|
|
THE World
Trade Organization (WTO) has cautioned developing countries,
particularly the Philippines, that high export growth in the
first two months of the year may not be enough to offset an
economic slowdown resulting from the deceleration of
economic growth in developed countries like the
United States,
the country’s biggest export market.
The
international trade group said current economic growth
forecast for developed markets is 1.1 percent and above 5
percent for developing countries. Together, the WTO said
these could result in world output growth of 2.6 percent and
a global trade expansion of about 4.5 percent in real terms,
which discounts inflation. |
|
MORE STORIES ... |
 |
|
|
A KOI pond
right in the middle of Changi airport provides sanctuary to
harassed business travelers looking to connect with Mother
Earth in the ultramodern facility, consistently voted one of
the world’s best airports. Singapore is hosting the Business
for the Environment Global Summit of executives from major
global companies, and 1,000 leaders from government,
international agencies and NGOs. -- BUTCH
FERNANDEZ |
