Iligan City, Philippines  - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Friday visited the people injured in two bombings in a southern Philippine city.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said Arroyo went to Iligan City in Lanao del Norte province, 855 kilometres south of Manila, and visited the hospital where 41 people wounded in the attacks were being treated.

Arroyo also visited the funeral home where two fatalities from the twin bombings were taken.

Iligan City, Philippines  - Three people were killed Thursday and 16 were injured when two homemade bombs exploded in two shopping centres in a southern Philippine city, a local official said.

The bombings occurred 15 minutes apart shortly after lunch in the Jerry Shopping Center and Uni City mall in Iligan City in Lanao del Norte province, 855 kilometres south of Manila, Mayor Lawrence Cruz said.

Manila - The death toll in the sinking of a passenger vessel off the northern Philippines has risen to 46 while eight people remained missing, the coast guard and police said Thursday.

Forty-five people survived the accident Sunday off the coast of Ballesteros town in Cagayan province, 420 kilometres north of Manila.

The MB Maejan was already near the dock of nearby Aparri town when it capsized when huge waves battered it and strong currents dragged it away.

The coast guard said search operations for the eight missing were continuing despite bad weather.

Local police said one more body was recovered off the coast of nearby Sanchez Mira town, bringing the death toll to 46.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - Two soldiers and three Muslim secessionist rebels were killed in a clash in the southern Philippines, a regional military spokeswoman said Thursday.

The clash erupted when army troops on combat patrol encountered about 30 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas late Tuesday in Piagapo town in Lanao del Sur province, 855 kilometres south of Manila, First Lieutenant Esteffani Cacho said.

Cacho said civilians saw at least five more wounded rebels being carried by their comrades fleeing from the battle zone.

Manila - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Tuesday signed into law a renewable energy law that seeks to make the country 60-per cent energy sufficient by 2010 and to mitigate problems caused by climate change.

Arroyo said the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 is the "first and most comprehensive renewable energy law in South-East Asia" and would enable the Philippines to capture part of 71-billion-dollar investments in renewable energy development worldwide.

In signing the law, Arroyo said the Philippine was only 45 per cent self-sufficient in energy in 2001. The percentage rose to 57 in 2007, she added.

Manila  - The Philippine government on Tuesday declared a unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels in observance of the year-end holidays.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the four-day truce with the communist guerrillas would take effect December 24 and 25 in observance of Christmas Day, and from December 31 to January 1, 2009 to mark the New Year.

But he said government forces would remain on alert against attacks by rebels despite the ceasefire declaration.

Peace talks between the Philippine government and the communist rebels have been stalled since August 2004.