Oblation in Manila. Sen. Edgardo Angara graces the unveiling of the Oblation at the UP-PGH campus in Manila—complementing the famous landmark at the main campus in Diliman—as part of the state university’s centennial celebration, with the theme, “UP Naming Mahal:100 Years.” Angara, a former UP president, was guest speaker at the event. --ROY DOMINGO

VARIOUS multilateral institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are a confusing lot, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Wednesday.

In giving monetary-policy advice to member-countries like the Philippines, they talk of one thing and mean another, BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—ABS-CBN senior reporter Ces Oreña-Drilon, who, with two others, was released by their kidnappers shortly before midnight on Tuesday, disclosed that they were “betrayed.”

Drilon on Wednesday morning did not, however, disclose who betrayed them, except to say that she will cooperate with the investigation to be conducted by the authorities.

THE chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations validated the contention of Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. that Congress has preapproved the government’s P4-billion fund release for subsidies to the poor and other sectors.

THE lure of seemingly unending economic opportunities in Metro Manila has caused its population to increase by 16.3 percent per square kilometer in 2007, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

THE CONTINUING crisis over soaring food prices and imperiled crop yields because of extreme weather and increasingly costly inputs may soon—observers said—transform the condescending remark “go plant camote in the barrio” into a gem of wisdom.

THE entry of the group of mining magnate Salvador Zamora II into the consortium building the MRT 7—a 23-kilometer rail-transit system from the MRT 3 North Avenue station in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan—has boosted the certainty the line will be up and running in mid- 2013 as planned.

PRESIDENT Arroyo leaves Saturday evening for a 10-day visit to the United States to further strengthen the historic Philippines-US relations.

The President, accompanied by her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo, will take a commercial flight to San Francisco, California, the first stop of her US visit.

DAVAO CITY—Signaling a breakthrough in the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the National Security Council has approved the draft proposal on the contentious issue of ancestral domain that has brought the negotiations to a standstill.

THE peso on Wednesday fell seven centavos after a slew of negative economic data locally and abroad were released, currency traders said.

THE First Family may soon find itself having a saint for a relative, as a Vatican-based priest offers to gather testimonies for the beatification of a great-grandaunt of the President’s husband, Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo.

PRESIDENT Arroyo on Wednesday expressed confidence that her successor will emerge from the ranks of the administration coalition, especially with the merger of Lakas-CMD and her Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi).

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Expo fever, A wide variety of booths draws big crowds at the opening of the Manila Food and Beverage Exposition held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. This years expo is geared toward meeting the rising demands of the industry while providing food enthusiasts a venue to learn the art of cooking and to explore culinary attractions. --ROY DOMINGO