MANILA – The country's merchandise imports in February, this year, went up by 4.9 percent to $ 4.99 billion from last year's same period of $ 4.76 billion, according to the National Statistics Office.

On a monthly basis, imports fell 2.8 percent from $5.134 billion compared to previous month’s level. In the first two months of the year, imports inched up by 0.6 percent to $10.126 billion from $10.063 billion posted during the same two-month period in 2011.

Electronics, which accounted for 28.7 percent of the total imports, fell by 5.1 percent to $1.433 billion from last year's figure of $1.510 billion. However, on a monthly basis, it grew by 6.6 percent from $ 1.344 billion recorded in January 2012.

‘Strengthening of urban poor body
to boost relocation, dev’t programs’

President Benigno Aquino lll issued Executive Order No. 69 to strengthen the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, PCUP chairman Hernani Panganiban said.

Under E.O. 69, dated March 29, 2012, the PCUP will be transferred to the Office of the President to effectively coordinate, formulate and evaluate policies and programs concerning the urban poor.

Panganiban said that within 45 days, the PCUP together with other concerned agencies, will draft the Implementing Rules and Regulations of E.O 69.

Eat-all-you-can
organic dinner set

The Organic Negros Producers and Retailers Association will host an eat-all-you-can organic style dinner today at the Organic na Kitchen, behind the Provincial Capitol Building, its president, Ramon Uy Jr. said yesterday.

Uy said the dinner is part of the local promotion of the province to showcase the certified and fresh products of the organic farmers of Negros Occidental, who are also members of association.

He said the organic market is now serving its customers with 90 percent organic food and only 10 percent are not certified products like the cooking oil, vinegar, and soy sauce.