Manila - Philippine troops killed one communist rebel in a clash in an eastern province, the military said Sunday.

Manila - Seven people, including a child, were killed Saturday in a smash-up between a passenger bus and a van in a northern Philippine province, a police officer said.

Manila - Millions of Filipinos flocked to the cemeteries throughout the Philippines on Saturday in the annual tradition of remembering their dead.

Police and military forces have been deployed around the cemeteries and other key public installations to ensure that the two-day event would be peaceful.

Different government agencies and volunteer organizations have set-up booths just outside the cemeteries to provide assistance to those needing help.

The Philippine National Red Cross said it mobilized thousands of volunteers nationwide to provide medical assistance to people going to the cemeteries.

Cotabato City, Philippines - Three soldiers were wounded in a clash with Muslim secessionist rebels in the southern Philippines, a regional army spokesman said Saturday.

Colonel Julieto Ando said he received reports that 19 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels were also killed in the fighting Friday in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province, 960 kilometres south of Manila.

Manila - Philippine share prices rose 4.62 per cent on Friday as investors snapped up undervalued stocks.

The Philippine Stock Exchange's 30-share composite index gained 86.16 points to close at 1,951.09 points from Thursday's finish of 1,864.93.

A total of 1.78 billion shares valued at 3.10 billion dollars (63.26 million dollars) were traded.

Gainers outpaced losers 99 to 16, while 32 issues were unchanged.

Cotabato City, Philippines - Fire razed a Philippine military ammunition depot in the troubled southern region of Mindanao on Friday, triggering a series of explosions that caused panic among nearby residents.

Major Randolph Cabangbang, a regional military spokesman, said the cause of the fire was still being determined, but assured the public that sabotage was not involved in the incident.

He said the depot inside Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Shariff Kabunsuan town, 930 kilometres south of Manila, was completely destroyed by the fire.

"No need to be alarmed," he said. "Nobody was hurt, and the ammunition stored in the warehouse are old, defective and were scheduled for disposal."