THE big guns of Philippine business came out in favor of Jpepa in a manifesto disclosed to media at the press briefing of the 33rd Philippine Business Conference and Expo slated later this month. Shown are (from left) Miguel Varela, Amb. Francis Chua, Amb.Donald Dee, Samie Lim and Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. The Philippine Business Conference and Expo is set from October 24 to 26 with the theme, “ONE. GLOBAL. FILIPINO.” --ROY DOMINGO

IN a bid to resuscitate the seemingly comatose Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa), the top guns in the business and labor sectors signed a joint manifesto Tuesday urging the Senate to ratify the deal.

HIGHER prices have taken their toll on the poor. The poorest families are now spending more and earning less, according to the latest preliminary results of the 2006 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) Tuesday.

DESPITE Filipinos’ interest in politics and the country’s high population growth rate, politics and sex are among the least important sources of happiness for most Filipinos, according to the recent pilot study for the Philippine Happiness Index conducted by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

THE milk industry scored one Tuesday as the Supreme Court (SC) struck down for being unconstitutional several provisions of the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (RIRR) of Executive Order 51, or the Milk Code, which prohibits the promotion and advertisement of breast-milk substitutes. The rest of the rules are within the law.

MALACAÑANG and the Senate are headed for another collision course after committee probers served subpoenas on Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza, director general officer in charge Augusto Santos of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and Assistant Secretary Lorenzo Formoso of the Telecommunications Office compelling them to submit Cabinet documents in connection with the inquiry into the Zhong Xing Telecommunications Equipment Co. Ltd. (ZTE) broadband deal.

THE Philippine peso gained to its highest level in seven years on speculation overseas nationals are sending money home.

The peso rose for a fourth day as the 8 million Filipinos working overseas typically send more money home in the last quarter to pay for relatives’ education and Christmas spending.

FROM being the No.1 producer of spam out of the 20 e-mail-producing countries in Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ), the Philippines descended one spot and is now the second-highest creator of spam with 87 percent, after Uzbekistan’s 88 percent, according to the 12th Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR) by Symantec.

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DTI, DBP release financing facility for OTOP producers The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) formally released P1.6 million to Rizal-based CD Handicrafts Inc. on Thursday as part of a P2-billion financing facility for the DTI’s One Town, One Product (OTOP) Program. OTOP producers all over the country can avail themselves of the facility. Coinciding with the formal turnover, an OTOP fair showcasing the OTOP products of the Calabarzon is now on display at the Ugnayan Hall of the DBP. Present during the turnover and trade fair were Presidential Management Staff director general Secretary Cerge N. Remonde (fourth from left), Trade Undersecretary and OTOP national program manager Carissa Cruz-Evangelista (fourth from right), DBP directors Joseph Donato Pangilinan (third from right) and Ramon Durano IV (right), senior vice president for small and medium enterprises Corazon D. Conde (second from right), Philexport executive vice president Aniano Bagabaldo (third from left), DTI Calabarzon regional director Malou Q. Toledo (second from left) and DTI Laguna provincial director Susan Palo.