Oil firms cut pump prices of petroleum products yesterday to reflect the decline in world oil prices amid the global economic downturn.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Total Corp., Seaoil, Unioil, Eastern Petroleum, Petron Corp. and Chevron rolled back prices of diesel by P0.40 per liter, kerosene by P0.30 per liter and regular gasoline by P0.75 per liter.

The oil firms, however, raised the price of unleaded gasoline by P0.30 per liter to its dealers.

WV dev’t program needs
P230-B in investments

Western Visayas will need P230 billion in investments to implement the projects identified in the Regional Development Investment Program of the Regional Development Plan for 2011 –2016, the National Economic and Development Authority said in a press release.

Based on the RDIP, the top 3 sectors that need substantial investment requirements over the next six years are Infrastructure Support with P153 billion (66 percent), Human Resource Development with P53.5 billion (23 percent), and Modern and Competitive Agriculture and Fisheries with P18.5 billion (8 percent).

The other sectors or concerns and their investment requirements are the Competitive Industry and Service Sector, P1.8 billion; Tourism Development, P371 million and Research and Development Thrusts with P189 million, the press release said.

NSO conducting 3 studies

The National Statistics Office is conducting three nationwide surveys this month for Overseas Filipinos, on Children, on top of the quarterly Labor Force, a government press release said.

The surveys will be done October 8 to 31 and will cover the pre-determined sample barangays all over the Philippines.

In Negros Occidental, about 1,400 sample households will be visited and interviewed by NSO personnel to gather information on Filipino citizens who left for abroad during the last five years.