Manila  - A pa

Manila - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo left Saturday for a three-day official visit to Qatar in a bid to attract investments to boost the Philippine economy.

Arroyo was also expected to meet with executives of Middle East companies employing hundreds of thousands of Filipino workers, to seek assurances of their employment amid the global economic crisis.

She will also meet with the different Philippine ambassadors to the Middle East countries in order to assess the impact of the crisis on the Filipino migrant workers in the area.

Manila  - Philipine shares slipped 2.03 per cent on Friday tracking a fall on Wall Street over continued uncertainty over a rescue package for US carmakers.

Manila  - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo cancelled a scheduled trip to the strife-torn southern Philippines Friday due to a series of bombings and clashes in the area.

Presidential spokesman Jesus Dureza said military commanders prevailed upon Arroyo not to push through with her visit to Shariff Kabunsuan province, 960 kilometres south of Manila, due to bomb attacks.

Manila  - June 2010 may still be more than 18 months away, but Filipinos are already looking forward to the day when Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is due to step down from power after nine years of tumultuous reign.

In 2009 politicians are expected to gear up for the presidential race and civil society groups to guard against plots to derail the May 2010 vote.

The 61-year-old US-educated Philippine leader has assured Filipinos that she will vacate her post when her term ends in 2010, leaving behind strong economic fundamentals that she hopes will tide the country over amid the raging global economic crisis.

Manila  - Police in the Philippine capital Manila were on alert Friday as thousands of people were expected to take to the streets for a rally against efforts to amend the constitution that would extend the term of scandal-tainted President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

More than 4,000 policemen have been deployed around Manila, especially in the financial district of Makati City where the demonstration was going to be held later Friday.

At the Malacanang presidential palace, additional security forces were deployed while container vans and barbed wire were used to block a main road leading to the sprawling compound in case protestors march to the area.