In the Philippines, families have gone from the rotary phone to the touch pad in the last 85 years of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) service. The simple rotary telephone is symbolic of connections, and this, perhaps, is the one picture that tells the story that is PLDT. To commemorate the telephone and its significance to the Filipino family,

MANILA, Philippines – More than half of Filipinos said they had trouble buying medicines and paying for other basic expenses, a research group said Thursday. IBON Foundation, an independent development institution, said that of the 1,500 respondents surveyed from October 12 to 19, 55.4 percent said they had difficulty paying for medicines and medical treatment in the past three months. Meanwhile, 32.4 percent said they did not have the same problem.

MANILA – More German companies are considering starting their businesses in the Philippines amid continued improvement in the business sector, the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (GPCCI) said on Friday. GPCCI general manager Nadine Fund said they “have been receiving an influx of inquiries from German businesses who are considering the Philippines for new ventures.” Fund said the World Bank’s recent “Doing Business Report” helped the Philippines’ cause in inviting foreign investors.

MANILA, Philippines – Hours after Filipinos fell for a satirical piece on Jinggoy Estrada's "arrest," the senator on Monday, November 4, felt the need to clarify the “incredible” story. “My staff just called me at 5:00 am to inform me that there is an article circulating in Facebook that I have been arrested in the US for bringing in huge amount of US$. That is absolutely NOT TRUE,” Estrada said in a text message from the US late Monday night.

MANILA, Philippines – At least 25 civilians posing as typhoon survivors and volunteers were caught looting relief goods at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City, the military confirmed on Wednesday, November 27. The looting was reported by fellow volunteers, said Air Force spokesperson Colonel Miguel Ernesto Okol.