Magsaysay laureates. Winners of the 2008
Ramon Magsaysay Awards talk about their advocacies in the run-up
to the 50th awards ceremonies on Sunday at the Cultural Center of
the Philippines. They are, from left, Indonesia’s Ahmad Syafii Maarif
for Peace and International Understanding, Sri Lanka’s Ananda Galappatti
for Emergent Leadership, India’s Prakash and Mandakini Amte for Community
Leadership, the Philippines’ Jaime Alip of the Center for Agriculture and Rural
Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions for Public Service, Japan’s Akio
Ishii for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts, the Philippines’
Grace Padaca for Government Service and Thailand’s Therdchai Jivacate for Public Service.
***
Growth slows to 4.6%
Weak consumption blamed
BY JIMMY CALAPATI
ECONOMIC growth slowed down to 4.6
percent during the second quarter from 8.3 percent a
year ago, casting doubts on the government achieving its
goal of 5.5-6.4 percent growth for the year.
First semester growth also stood at
4.6 percent after the National Statistical Coordination
Board revised the first quarter growth from 5.2 percent
to 4.7 percent.
"Economic growth in the Philippines
as well as those of Asian neighbors was dragged down by
high inflation and slower growth among advanced
economies, which hurt consumer demand," Planning
Secretary Ralph Recto said.
Dark clouds hang over the economy. The
future has never been as uncertain as they are now.
Why is this so?
Chief among the reasons, and this is
practically true for all non-oil producing countries, is
the soaring prices of crude blunted only occasionally as a
question of market correction.
GOVERNMENT forces have captured a major camp
of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which served as
headquarters of one of the rebel commanders who is being hunted
for atrocities in Lanao del Norte.
Camp Bilal in Munai town was seized by
security forces around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday without any
resistance from Commander Bravo and his men from the 102nd Base
Command, Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna, AFP vice chief of staff, said
yesterday.
Bravo and his men are being held responsible
for the August 18 attacks on Iligan City and four towns in Lanao
del Norte. The attacks left 28 civilians, three soldiers and a
policeman dead.
