MANILA, May 1, 2009- Some bishops have blasted the recent arrest of Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada as "unacceptable" and Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) executive secretary Msgr Juanito Figura called it a "big blow to justice."

MANILA, April 30, 2009-The head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Thursday urged employers and the government to recognize the contribution of the workers.

Under the ongoing German-Filipino Exchange Program on Education, Culture and Teaching Objectives (EPECTO) another two Filipino visitors, Kristian Sendon Cordero and Salve Carmela Poche, stayed with Friedrich-Alexander-Gymnasium Neustadt Aisch in Bavaria, Germany the last three weeks.

BALANGA, Bataan, May 1, 2009 --Balanga Bishop Socrates B. Villegas called on the Catholic faithful and devotees of the holy rosary to actively participate in a prayer crusade for the healing of former President Corazon C. Aquino now afflicted with cancer of the colon, beginning May 1, feast of St. Joseph the Worker, until May 13, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima.

Vox Bikol columnist Tito Genova Valiente has been invited to be part of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino, the country's premier critics' group. Popularly known as URIAN, the panel of respected critics is responsible for bestowing the prestigious Gawad URIAN to the best of Philippine cinema.

Albay Province (30 April) -- United States Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney, during her visit here Tuesday (April 28), promised that humanitarian missions will continue as component of the Balikatan Exercises, with the US-RP military counterparts building roads, school buildings, providing free medical services and other humanitarian projects for the Filipino people.

NAGA CITY - Militants here have assailed the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the violent encounter between protesters and plainclothes and uniformed police officers during the visit of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last April 20. The president was in Naga to grace the opening of the annual Private Association of Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA).

MOSCOW, May 1 (PNA/RIA Novosti) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially confirmed 331 cases of influenza A/H1N1, the technical name for the virus commonly known as swine flu, in 11 countries.

UNITED NATIONS, May 1 (PNA/Itar-Tass) -- The Russian delegation will preside over the United Nations Security Council in May. Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin will replace the Mexican ambassador to the U.N. Claude Eller on Friday in the post of chairman.

MANILA, May 1 -- The National Economic and Development Authority on Friday said pump prices of gasoline should be lower than P32 per liter. Socio-economic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto said in a statement that based on the Department of Energy (DOE)oil monitor as of April 16, oil companies charged as much as P40.85 per liter of premium plus unleaded gasoline, P39.71 per liter of premium unleaded gasoline, and P39.07 per liter of unleaded gasoline, about P8 more than the estimated gasoline price of P32.