Manila  - The Philippines downgraded on Wednesday its economic growth target for 2009 due to the severe impact of the global slowdown, a senior official said.

Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto said the growth target for 2009 was revised to between 3.7 per cent and 4.4 percent from the previous forecast of between 3.7 per cent and 4.7 per cent.

In 2008, the Philippines' gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.6 per cent, way below the three-decade high growth of 7.1 per cent in 2007.

Manila - Five government soldiers and 11 communist rebels were killed in clashes that erupted when troops raided a guerrilla camp in the southern Philippines, an army spokesman said Monday.

One soldier and 12 guerrillas were also wounded in the fighting on Sunday in Quezon town in Bukidnon province, 855 kilometres south of Manila, according to Major Michele Anayron.

Anayron said troops swooped down on a rebel camp in the village of Santa Cruz, triggering a four-hour gunbattle that killed one soldier and five guerrillas.

Manila - Thousands of people in the western Philippines are in danger of losing their livelihoods with the trade in live reef fish bound for expensive seafood restaurants in China facing imminent collapse, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) warned Monday.

The international environmental group said 60 per cent of all fish taken from the reefs around Palawan province, 600 kilometres south-west of Manila, were now juveniles, a good indication that "it has been highly overfished."

Manila  - Two communist rebels were killed Sunday in a clash with government troops in a southern Philippine province, an army spokesman said.

Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner said the combat occurred in a village in Talaingod town in Davao del Norte province, 990 kilometres south of Manila.

Brawner said the military suffered no casualties.

Troops recovered three rifles and the bodies of the slain rebels after the firefight, he said.

Manila  - One government soldier and two communist rebels were killed Sunday in separate incidents in the southern Philippines, the military said.

An army sergeant was killed when a military truck hit a rebel landmine in Panabo City in Davao del Norte province, 990 kilometres south of Manila.

Major General Raymundo Ferrer, a regional military commander, said three soldiers were also wounded in the blast.

He said the troops were on their way to Paquibato district in Davao City to conduct preparations for a humanitarian mission.

Manila  - Two communist rebels were killed Sunday in a clash with government troops in a southern Philippine province, an army spokesman said.

Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner said the combat occurred in a village in Talaingod town in Davao del Norte province, 990 kilometres south of Manila.

Brawner said the military suffered no casualties.

Troops recovered three rifles and the bodies of the slain rebels after the firefight, he said.