Manila - Two soldiers were killed in a clash with Muslim secessionist rebels in the southern Philippines, an army spokesman said Monday.
Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner said the fighting erupted Sunday when patrolling troops encountered 10 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in Alamada town in North Cotabato province, 960 kilometres south of Manila.
Brawner said government troops also lost an M-14 assault rifle to the rebels, who fled to the mountains after nearly 30 minutes of fighting.
Manila - The Philippines and Japan on Monday signed nine grant contracts worth 660,000 dollars for various education, health and agriculture projects in conflict areas in the southern region of Mindanao.
Philippine presidential peace adviser Avelino Razon and Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura signed the contracts for the projects under the Japan-Bangsamoro
(Muslim nation) Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development.
Manila - More than 100,000 workers in the Philippines have been laid off or have suffered wage cuts due to the global economic crisis, a senior labour official said Monday.
Labour Undersecretary Rosalinda Baldoz said 109,529 employees of companies in the Philippines have been affected by the crisis since October last year.
Baldoz said 11,574 workers were permanently laid off, while 38,806 were temporarily laid off and 59,149 have been forced to accept wage cuts after being placed on flexible work arrangements.
Manila - Philippine authorities were waiting Sunday for Muslim rebels to free one of three Red Cross hostages on a southern island, after government troops were ordered to pull out from a cordon surrounding the kidnappers.
A leader of the Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebel group promised to free one of the hostages if soldiers, police and militiamen moved away from their encampment in Indanan town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila.
Manila - At least 12 people were killed Saturday when a passenger minibus collided with a cargo truck in the central Philippines, a local official said.
Ten more were injured in the collision at dawn on a highway in Naga town in Cebu province, 585 kilometres south of Manila, Mayor Valdemar Chiong said.
Investigators said the minibus was racing with another vehicle and encroached on the opposite lane. Its driver apparently did not see the approaching cargo truck.
Manila - Three Muslim separatist rebels and a government militiaman were killed in a clash in a southern Philippine province, an army spokesman said Friday.
Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Ponce said the firefight erupted when Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas opened fire at patrolling militiamen in Kalamansig town in Sultan Kudarat province, 930 kilometres south of Manila, on Thursday.
The 30-minute firefight resulted in the death of three MILF rebels and a militiaman, Ponce said.
Manila - Two soldiers were killed in a clash with Muslim secessionist rebels in the southern Philippines, an army spokesman said Monday. 
Manila - The Philippines and Japan on Monday signed nine grant contracts worth 660,000 dollars for various education, health and agriculture projects in conflict areas in the southern region of Mindanao. 
Manila - More than 100,000 workers in the Philippines have been laid off or have suffered wage cuts due to the global economic crisis, a senior labour official said Monday.
Manila - Philippine authorities were waiting Sunday for Muslim rebels to free one of three Red Cross hostages on a southern island, after government troops were ordered to pull out from a cordon surrounding the kidnappers.
Manila - Three Muslim separatist rebels and a government militiaman were killed in a clash in a southern Philippine province, an army spokesman said Friday.
